Clawing our way Forward - Co-op-eratively

Fisheries Policy in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador is - to say the least - a failure.

1. Our ground fish stocks were destroyed by federal management.
2. We have lost 80,000 people from our province as a result.
3. We have lost dozens of communities as a result.
4. Continued decline of processing these natural resources.
5. Continued increase in Corporate desire to ship unprocessed catch.

The lobster fishermen in our province are moving forward with a "new" approach to their fishery by voting to form a Co-op. This in turn allows them more control with respect to pricing and offers them alternatives to the continued control of pricing by the buyers/processors.

Sounds great to me.

How about this?

If the species is processed in the province - let the harvesters and buyers/processors work it out while growing jobs for secondary added value.

The only time the government of Newfoundland and Labrador should consider a request to ship raw catch out of the province is when that request comes from a harvesters co-op.

If you want to be a processor - then process. Do not seek to become a harvester by proxy - while diminishing the real economic potential of value-added production.

The province should then reinstate a marketing arm that will help harvesters sell their catch to foreign markets - when processors have no interest in value-added production of the species.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador have a responsibility to all people of the province and in the socio/economic well being of same. The corporate processors have responsibility to make as much profit as possible for the shareholders of their companies.

Inept Politicians Responsible for kicking the Pride out of our People

It is true that I am opinionated - but unlike frenzied partisan zealots - my opinion is based on research.

The title of this post is no longer a matter of opinion - it is a fact.

How many of you have listened or read negative and quite often nasty comments made by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians regarding the fishery?

You know like "it's time we rationalized" - "time to stop the welfare" - "I am sick of hearing fishermen complaining"?

How sad - to hear our own people kick our own people - when they are NOT responsible for the fisheries disaster.

How sad to hear other people inflicted by unemployment caused by inept politicians turn on unemployed fishermen and plant workers instead of the inept politicians.

How utterly pathetic to hear inept politicians ponder how to cut the guts out of the fishery, entire communities and families rather than tackle Uncle Ottawa.

1. The fishery was mismanaged by the federal government.
2. That mismanagement costs this province 1 billion dollars annually.
3. The recovery expected by 2001 did not occur.
4. There has been NO compensation for the past decade meaning we have lost 10 billion dollars.
5. The federal government continues to diminish fisheries science rendering the resource and the industry dead.
6. Newfoundland and Labrador has lost over 40,000 people and rendered many communities bankrupt from this loss.
7. The fishery continues to be a bargaining chip for foreign trade without the benefits of such accruing to Newfoundland and Labrador.
8. The provincial government does not have the knowledge, the will, or the guts to do what is right.
9. Rationalization is a word used to cover up incompetence at both the federal and provincial levels.
10. Politicians are responsible for kicking the pride out of our people and for turning one Newfoundlander and Labradorian against another Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

From Bonavista to Vancouver Island - There is a difference!

As our song goes "from Bonavista to Vancouver Island - this land belongs to you and me"...

From the start of the Stanley Cup final series - there was a difference. Although Michael Ryder is a Canadian - he is not the great Sidney - so Canada's team became the Canucks and not the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Pens were in the final and Crosby was playing the massive broadcast attention would have plunked itself down in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

Michael Ryder is a tremendous talent in his profession - but he's from Newfoundland and Labrador - that's the province that most national broadcasters like to skip when they do a coast to coast commentary starting with the phrase, "from Nova Scotia to British Columbia". As such the CBC - CTV and most Canadian news agencies focused on Vancouver and not the real hockey fans in a real hockey town like Bonavista, NL.

We all awoke this morning to see our national image virtually destroyed by the city that hosts "Canada's Team".  Unfortunately that image was not countered with images of beautiful Bonavista NL, scenic, peaceful, and genuinely excited about their boy Michael Ryder doing Canada proud as he participated in this athletic test of excellence .

What a missed opportunity - Canada could have showcased an absolutely jaw-dropping coastline and natural vistas untouched by over-population and urbanization and a community that epitomizes "hockeyville" not "crimeville". They could have told a story about a young man from a small town - that beat all the odds by making the NHL cut.

The CBC and CTV could have camped out in Bonavista and the only pepper spray their reporters would have suffered would have been a few sprinkles of the spice drifting from a shaker being used by a livyer while barbecuing. They would have been adopted by 3000 or so people who would ensure they were well fed on lobsters, mussels, and crab while listening to stories dating back to 1497 when John Cabot made landfall at this historic site. With a population that is about 10% of Cole Harbour which itself is considered small when compared to a Vancouver - Bonavista is extremely proud of Michael Ryder.

Perhaps some damage control is still possible for Canada - if our media focuses on Ryder bringing the cup home to Bonavista - Newfoundland and Labrador. We can showcase the beautiful places and people of Canada - minus the looting, arson, rioting. Perhaps a whale will sing in the foreground of an iceberg dwarfing all around it.

In Bonavista Newfoundland and Labrador - you might see a salt and pepper hat, salt spray from the mighty Atlantic, or a riot - which defined here means a great old time of dancing, local music, and feasting on fresh seafood.

Congratulations to Michael Ryder and Bonavista - who last night did Canada proud.

Instead of mobs of gangsers running around drunk carrying stolen manikins - Bonavista celebrated with kids running around carrying Stanley Cups of tinfoil in their Boston Jerseys bearing Ryder's #73.

If the media of this country wants to show the real hockey spirit of Canada - load themselves on a plane and come on down to Bonavista. I am sure the images they capture will cure the hangover of embarrassment they are suffering from Vancouver.

Photo From the Telegram

 

Majestic Icebergs Bonavista

The beautiful whales Bonavista

Bonavista is built upon sedimentary deposits of the Precambrian Age (600 million years ago). On the road between Lance Cove and Bonavista you'll find one of nature's carvings - the Dungeon. It is a circular opening in the cliff with two seaward-side channels where the sea roars through. It is approximately 300 feet across and 15 metres deep. Tidal action has created a natural beach. You can swim or go through the channels in a small punt. Many people explore the bottom and sides of the Dungeon, climbing its high cliffs looking for plentiful iron pyrite (fools' gold) embedded in the rocks.

 

 

 

You want something to celebrate Canada? Hats off to Bonavista - now Micheal bring the Stanley Cup home. Congratulations to Betty Fitzgerald, Mayor of Bonavista, who did not have to resort to tweeting apologies. They were happy in Bonavista regardless of the outcome.

Does Risley want another piece of Newfoundland and Labrador?

Just two days away from the "vote" - and I am thinking about FPI. This once king of "seafoods" companies gone from our rural communities - gone from the memories of our politicians - as well.

John Risley - the "Danny" slayer has done what media and opposition could not. Risley has taken Danny on and won.

On Friday FPI issued a news release - advising of a special meeting of shareholders. On October 22nd - the shareholders will vote on the sale of FPI assets. The get-together will also be used to discuss the future of FPI. The release says in part:

FPI intends to transition from an operating company engaged in the harvesting, processing, global sourcing and marketing of seafood products to an investment and holding company.

So now that our politicians have allowed the company to moan and groan its way out of commitments to our communities - and at the same time making some millionaires of a select few - what are the boys going to do with the money? What exactly does the statement above mean? An investment and holding company?

Why not let John Risley answer that question. The Montreal Gazette attributes the following quote to Danny's conqueror:

"our historical business has been the seafood business and our future business will be something other than the seafood business"

Apparently the name of the new company will be FP Resources Ltd. What now - will they come after energy investments? Do they want a piece of the Lower Churchill? How about Labrador uranium? Or maybe gas projects? Will they suck the good out of other resources in Newfoundland and Labrador and then change-up again?

And in a twist of irony - FPI announced today the appointment of a new director - another "Newfoundlander and Labradorian" - Mr. Graham Roome - who started his career with the "Lake Group" - one of the fish companies that had to be rescued by the formation of FPI - when we the taxpayers became the owners. Talk about having sea-legs - apparently Mr. Roome who went from Lake to FPI in Bonavista - to Clearwater - and then back to FPI - is doing a hell of a lot better that our fishermen.

Danny - Tom - Gerry - Loyola - and Loyola - "hook line and sinker". Way to go Risley - no wonder you and Ches Penney have the personal wealth you have.

Giving away that last lonely fish...

That's the title of a column today in the Chronicle Herald - Nova Scotia.

The story is a continuation of the concerns expressed by Bob Applebaum and Gus Etchegary over potential changes to NAFO.

This piece is worth reading if we care at all about our fishery. Something which our provincial politicians are not "con"vincing me they are.

Here's a couple of paragraphs from the column by Jim Meek:

Ottawa, in short, has severely weakened its ability to manage and conserve trans-boundary stocks in the area of the Grand Banks. It is cold comfort that there are so few fish left to protect in what were once the best fishing grounds on the planet.

And it’s colder comfort that this is the federal government that came to power promising to extend Canada’s "custodial management" of fish stocks beyond the 200-mile zone.

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As for Loyola Hearn - what should we expect?

Eliminate Low-Margin Products

I'm left to wonder - how I should take a message from an FPI News Release this week. If I'm a shareholder - and I'm not - I would be delighted. But if I'm involved in the fishery - the words would spell gloom and doom. I would be angry.

Beverly Evans - Chief Financial Officer - of FPI said this of the company's over 6 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTERLY PROFIT:

"Profitability has improved through the execution of our strategy to eliminate low-margin products from our portfolio"

FPI's profits are up 3 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS from the same quarter last year.

Understand - that this news - while great for shareholders - is a reflection of human suffering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Communities in peril - fighting for their existence - people packing up and moving away before they lose everything.

When Beverly talks about eliminating low margin products - to you and me those products - in reality are people and communities. And all that to ensure that when Ches Penney - Nova Scotia and Iceland Corporates take over the company - they will not be the villains.

How do they all sleep at night? It's takes a special breed to fill your own arse pockets while you watch families and communities suffer. That is the mark of a "successful" business person - not necessarily a "good" one.

This is where the government of Newfoundland and Labrador had some control - had the ability to operate with a 2 million dollar profit instead of a 6 million dollar one. The shareholders should have been and should be the people of the Province - until some corporate entity would have accepted a couple of million a quarter - and communities and people (society) could have carried on.

You see this is not a swipe at the corporate elite - it is their swipe at us. The government neither has the vision nor the guts to do what's right. This will be another Williams' legacy.

Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs speaks Fish

Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs speaks Fish to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters during the 150th Anniversary Symposium “Politics and Law – Energy and Environment in the Far North” held two days ago.

First let's look at how Academics play a role in Norwegian Success. Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had this to say:

In my view, knowledge drives development. Knowledge made available to all drives societies and individuals towards freedom and more responsibility. Therefore, the creation of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters – Det norske Videnskaps-akademi – 150 years ago stands out as a major sign of progress – an important step towards Norway’s independence, towards the establishment of the rule of law in a democratic sovereign state, and even towards an awareness of the need to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.


When it came to discussing fish - the Norwegian Minister demonstrates how that country has learned from Newfoundland and Labrador - are we really ready to learn from them? Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said this:

The depletion of important fish stocks is easily achieved, as we have repeatedly seen. In fact this phenomenon ranks among the leading threats not only to global ecosystems but also to our ability to feed a growing world population. Faced with the challenge of illegal fishing in the Barents Sea, it is as tempting as it is frightening to remind our audiences of the fate of the cod stocks in the waters off Newfoundland. We know this all too well: The restoration of fish stocks is not easily achieved.

To read the Complete Speech Press HERE