Today at the Confederation Building in St. John’s, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, met with leadership of the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP). The meeting culminated in an agreement between the FFAW and the ASP to commence the 2023 crab fishery.

Given the difficult global market for snow crab this season and the significance of this fishery to Newfoundland and Labrador, it was important for all parties to come together to reach a solution in order to start the fishery.

We encourage all parties to maintain public safety and respect the process. Police agencies will continue to monitor the situation closely to protect the safety of all those involved. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador remains committed to working with communities and our police agencies to ensure all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians feel safe and secure.

Representatives of the FFAW and ASP will be available to the media on Tuesday (May 23, 2023) to discuss the agreement.

The seafood industry is an integral component of our provincial economy, employing over 17,500 people from over 400 communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Snow crab is the most valuable seafood product exported from the province annually, with total landings of 50,470 tonnes in 2022. Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish and seafood products are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.

Quotes
“Our government recognizes this has been a challenging time for the hard-working people who power Newfoundland and Labrador’s significant crab fishery. It was important to reach an agreement to ensure we do not lose the 2023 season, and I thank all parties for working together to achieve this goal.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“The crab fishery plays a major role in communities across Newfoundland and Labrador, and I have been committed to working with the FFAW and ASP to reach an agreement throughout the last number of weeks. As the 2023 crab fishery commences, it is important that everyone be safe.”
Honourable Derrick Bragg
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

“The last several weeks have been incredibly challenging for all our members around the province, but it was not all for nothing. We trust that what’s happened here today provides not only a start for the 2023 crab fishery, but lays the groundwork for future seasons to ensure harvesters have a system they can put their faith in.”
Greg Pretty
President, FFAW-Unifor

“We’re pleased and relieved that we have reached an agreement with the FFAW for the 2023 crab season. It’s been a troubling few weeks faced with much uncertainty, but we are confident that we can still have a successful fishery, with public safety top of mind. We are eager to start processing crab, and to provide meaningful employment to the thousands of plant workers that rely on the industry, and we are looking forward to exporting premium quality snow crab that will be enjoyed worldwide.”
Jeff Loder
Executive Director, Association of Seafood Producers

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BACKGROUNDER

The terms of the agreement to commence the 2023 crab fishery are as follows:

$2.20 to start, and as the minimum price for the season
$2.25 at $4.85
$2.30 at $4.95
$2.60 at $5.50
$2.75 at $6.00

Reconsideration after $6.01

All reference prices at low NL Urner Barry.

The Parties further agree to meet weekly to establish and enforce workable trip limits.