All Seal Seal Seal

For me - it's simple - the comfortable, warm, durable, and practical seal clothing products are the best. From my head to my toes - seal skin hat, jacket, boots, gloves, and even a purse.

When it rains - snows - is windy - or is freezing cold I am comfy warm and dry in my seal skin.

This material is superior to most others and provides a long life of use.

One last thing - there is nothing better than flipper pie - so give it a try. 

Below please find a link to some of the shops that carry great seal products.

NaturaL boutique, St John's

Jennifer and Kerry Shears are the owners and operators of Natural Boutique, which is a Newfoundland and Labrador-based business.  They are young Newfoundland Mi'kmaq and are very passionate about this province.  Natural Boutique is a division of Gros Morne Wildlife Museum and Gift Shop – a popular attraction on the West Coast of Newfoundland.   Natural Boutique specializes in high quality nature-based products – from sealskin coats and boots to authentic Inuit-made soapstone carvings.  A brick and mortar store is now open in downtown St John’s at 152 Water Street.  You can get updates and information by following us on Twitter @NaturalNL or on Facebook at facebook.com/NaturaLboutiqueNL

NAFG North Atlantic Fur Group

Vogue Furriers

About Us

Always In Vogue is a High Fashion Retail Store in Canada, that has built its reputation on Quality and Service..we also manufacture a large amount of our merchandise.
Like many other companies that have been in business for a long period of time, we at VOGUE still believe in Quality with exceptional Service. Today's customers,really do not ask for much... They need to know they are getting good value and they expect service if something goes wrong....  That's really not asking a lot. At Always in Vogue we have been making our own products forever!!!  That makes us a manufacture and a retailer. It also means we know our product . Thanking all our customers for considering Always in Vogue and we look forward to making new customers all over the World..through our new Web Site.
Bernie Halloran

Slippers 'n Things

 

About Us

Our inspiration, slippers made by Mary Voisey.
(larger version)

Slippers 'n Things is a small family owned business, we work hard to please our customers by providing quality handcrafted products in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, we do our best to offer excellent customer service and the hospitality Labrador is known for. We are located at 55 Grenfell Street in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

We carry a excellent selection of traditional hide, sealskin and duffle slippers, mitts and hats made by local artists. We also have an exquisite selection of crafted Labradorite Jewelry and semi-precious gemstones, not to mention a selection photo's and prints. Check out our handmade Labradorite "gifts" such as lazy susan's, trivets, coasters, paper towel holders, serving trays, candle holders, business card holders and more!

Drop by and check us out we have the perfect gift for any occasion and many souvenir items. We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express, ask us about mail orders. At Slippers 'n Things there is a little something for everyone!

 

 

Support the seal industry - support retailers - support sealers

 

You can be a member of the Canadian Sealers Association - you do not need to be a sealer - you can be a supporter. The fee is only $25 per year! I am getting my membership this week - why not get yours too. 

 

Click HERE to buy a membership

Here is a recipe for Seal Flipper Pie Live Rural Newfoundland and Labrador 

 

Great local food shops like:

 

Taylor's

 

Address: 528 Con Bay Hwy, Foxtrap

Phone:(709) 834-8638

 

Belbin's Grocery

 

What a great place to buy a gift - local meals packaged up and delivered.

 

Bidgood's Supermarket

 

Celebrating 50 years

Yummy food - local fare

 

The Seafood Shop

 

Address: 7 Rowan Street  St John's

Phone: (709) 753-1153

 

If there is a great Newfoundland or Labrador shop you'd like to recommend let me know. I will add it to the list.

 

Fishery - the One Billion Dollars Solution

If you can first put aside the learned hatred of everything fish for one moment - then we might start pulling on the same oar.

Ottawa is responsible for the collapse of the fishery as they control the management of the stocks and fishing grounds.

20 years after a moratorium slated to last 10 years - we are collapsing further.

This is not the time to downsize or rationalize - we will not have an industry left. All we will witness is GDP and that will be attributable to unprocessed fish being gouged by a few corporations.

Now is the time to seek a real solution.

We have lost a billion a year since 2002 when the moratorium was supposed to be over. That did not happen.

Because of that we have lost twice that - as we have also lost transfer payments (per-capita) - due to population loss - that pays for transportation, health, and education.

We have also lost communities, investment, families, depreciated asset value, and future industrial potential.

If we demand that Ottawa - pay up - 1 billion x 10 years = 10 billion so far and counting.

Why are we rationalizing?

Why are we downsizing?

Because we have lost our fishery!

That is not acceptable.

We need our fishermen for science, research, and industrial planning.

We need our plant workers to work on new product lines.

We need these people and our provincial government to work on markets.

Is this a reasonable ask?

Of course it is - the feds bail out agriculture year over year to preserve food security, communities, families and that industry. Remember that the feds are not even responsible for drought, floods, market woes, and foreign subsidization for our competitors. They still pay - year over year.

Of course it is - the feds bailed out Ontario when the auto-makers collapsed and industry suffered in Central Canada. Billions and billions. They were not responsible for that occurrence.

They are responsible for the loss of the ground-fish stocks and are responsible for not protecting the fishing grounds. They are responsible for bartering our fish stocks away to foreigners so that other provinces would get manufacturing and industrial investment.

Instead our politicians are sucking their thumbs and doing nothing to correct this problem. We have suffered a grave injury and we are entitled to compensation.

Instead our politicians are looking for ways to boot people out of the fishery with a package.

Instead our politicians are looking to downsize and rationalize.

There is no rationalization - there must be compensation.

Then 25,000 of our people per year could be doing something beneficial - to help rebuild stocks, develop product and markets, and foster growth in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Why is it that Newfoundland and Labrador is not demanding what is just?

Why do we keep letting the feds off the hook?

Why are we allowing not only the continued loss of stocks but downsizing science, SAR, and other critical assets to this industry?

Why indeed!

Dunderdale and Company - Partisan? Disinterested? Incompetent?

The attitude of disinterest, boredom, annoyance and/or anger of many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians toward the fishery, fishermen, and plant workers is a mistake.

The politicians from all parties have played a very partisan and dangerous game with the people of our province as it relates to this resource and bureaucrats both provincially and federally have made it worse by juggling death versus dealing with the continued problem.

The fishery is our history and should be our future - but in order for that to be the case a number of things have to happen.

1. Our history in the fishery must be fully and publicly disclosed and discussed so that all people in our province can learn to respect, value, and protect this vital renewable resource.

2. An injury has occurred and our province - communities and people - are the injured party. We need to assess the injury, determine the party/ies that caused the injury, value the injury, and then do what is necessary to achieve compensation for the injury.

3. Based on the compensation arrangements the province must move forward to develop plans for recovery, science, enforcement, community, environmental and the future.

4. Further these plans must be broken down to include; immediate actions, medium term actions, and long term actions. One to fifty years would be appropriate.

5.The province must desist making new arrangements with "processors" that want to export raw material and must move toward harvesters co-ops and redevelop a marketing division for products either processed or unprocessed of this resource.

The "rationalization" of the fishery which government and others claim is occurring is nothing more that a desperate response to a disastrous situation which has yet to be dealt with properly. Each and every week we are hearing of the closure or downsizing of plants and facilities and communities losing their primary employer.

This is not a sustainable answer to what will bring economic disaster.

Dr. Phil Earle and Gus Etchegary are not sounding the very loud alarm bells for no reason and these retired individuals are not as passionate as they are without reasoned concern. They are as worried as you should be.

The moratorium of our stocks began in 1992 - this caused a massive upheaval in this resource sector and we lost about 80,000 people from our workforce and most from our province altogether.

We should have experienced significant recovery by 2002 and should have been on our way to sustained recovery. This according to the people responsible for managing the resource.

We all know this did not happen and now we are in 2012 - with no reasonable end in sight.

To alleviate the loss of our ground fish sector - we increased the catch of our shellfish. We all know this is not a good thing and eventually will cause further catastrophic consequences.

Despite the catch increase in other species - thousands of people were removed from this fishery and no doubt hundreds of our rural communities have suffered.

Throughout this mess - the kingpins of the fishery needed to maintain and grow profits - so fisheries policy has revolved around keeping them afloat. The latest of course is to give them stocks without the necessity to process. This has resulted in further losses to the people in general but the continued wealth building for those already so endowed.

If you can get your head around the problem it equates to a loss of a billion dollars a year plus the loss of people, loss of communities and devalued assets.

Try and consider the following. Let's say you lost your job in St. John's or Metro - no doubt you would feel the pinch and be worried about your next paycheck - just like the people displaced on the Burin Peninsula. Let's add that you had been at the same job for 20 or so years and have invested in things like a house or property. If you went to sell that asset in St. John's Metro you would enjoy an increase in the value of your asset upon sale. Now for one moment put yourself in a rural community that has just lost it's only significant employer - and then you needed to sell your house. You would suffer major losses as the equity you built would disappear - as the market was no longer there for resale.

Also consider that with the low unemployment rate in St. John's Metro - you may be able to find another job to make ends meet - while the person in the rural community would not have that option. In your case you may be able to keep your home - or sell for a profit and downsize - whereas the person in the rural community would have to sell their property, move and not even have the option to rent out their home - NO Market.

Some of the more fortunate ones in the affected community may be in a position to retire - thereby staying in their own home - that is if they are not still indebted. Let's say they can stay in their own home and actually live another 20 or so years. What services will remain where they live? What will they do with no family remaining in the community? None of these issues are a problem in St. John's Metro - YET.

You see the losses resulting from a collapsed fishery will hurt us all. The worst is yet to come - if we do not fix the problem.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

For those who are still in their productive work life - the choice will be to move away and find work elsewhere. Where will they pay tax? What will happen with their children? Will they ever come back?  Will we lose a significant number of our next generation? If we do - who will pay for the seniors left behind? Who will pay for the increase in personal care home usage? Who will pay the medical bills of an aging population besieged with chronic illnesses - more prevalent in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Then factor in all the boomers who moved away 20 years ago when the fishery first collapsed. Many of these people will return home upon retirement after having paid all their taxes to another province. That places an increased burden on a taxation system that did not receive the benefit of their taxes for the past 20 years. How will these shortfalls be covered?

What about resettlement? You know that government is always looking at that when their finance gurus are explaining the problem mentioned above. Are we going to resettle 100 or more communities? How much will that cost? Where will they move to? If we pick 5 regional centres and move them all there - what will be the increased burden on those cities or towns?

If not resettlement how does government pay for the upkeep of thousands of kilometres of roads - deteriorating badly? How does government afford to keep reasonable health services in those communities?

Now let's talk about the taboo - OIL - what happens when that oil is gone? When will it be gone? What will happen to our cities and regional towns? We have lost two mills, mines, and may lose our last mill. We will have no oil sector and the fishery will be dead.

I will guarantee one thing - if the future plays out as discussed above - the leaders - our politicians of the present day will not be around. They may retire in Florida on the lucrative pension we provide them. They may move to a - then recovered Ontario. Their children will be provided for. Kathy Dunderdale may huff and puff every time her choices are questioned - but she WILL have a pension.

Our biggest problem is that our politically based system is very similar to a quick-buck corporation - concentrate on the now - the next few years - the next election. Unfortunately they see this as their job instead of being the keepers of our future.

If we build Muskrat now - there will be lots of jobs now and make them look good. Unfortunately there are no measurable numbers of long term jobs but there is certainly measurable long term debt. So while the shareholders of Emera will enjoy increased profits through guaranteed returns - we the owners, the taxpayers and ratepayers will suffer.

Our system of immediate political rewards, needs, and votes is also costing us at the Federal level. Right now - I am convinced that Stephen Harper can strip our province of every benefit of "con"federation - and Dunderdale will let it happen as long as the loan guarantee carrot exists. 

We need vision and we need it now.

We need leadership and we need it now.

We need a plan and we need it now.

We need action and we need it now.

These games - childish political games - played by incompetent, disinterested, and/or partisan people with an need to satisfy the next polling period - will destroy us.

These politicians who through their own words, excuses, and frustration cause you and me to detest the fishery with them.

You think you can afford to not care about the fishery? Think again.

Dr. Phil Earle responds to Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield

Below please find a response to Federal Fisheries Minister - Keith Ashfield from Dr. Phil Earle

 

Dear Minister Ashfield, March 1/2012

Part 1  

I would like to respond to your letter in a step wise manner, and I would like for you to answer my comments for the people of this province.

First what does “..we are time and again being out-performed by smaller countries with less access to the resource” refer to? Are you talking about NAFO countries that fish on our shelf, such as Spain? If it is, the answer is Spain has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world which is subsidized nearly a billion dollars a year by the EU to fish around the world.

Further if you and the DFO are inferring that we should therefore increase our efforts to catch more fish it would be a totally wrong conclusion. Our ground fish stocks have never recovered and are at an all-time low of less than 10% of historic healthy levels. We need to stop the fishing destruction that is occurring at present so the stocks can be allowed to recover. That includes the fishing inside our 200 mile EEZ and that of NAFO fleets fishing on the nose and tail of the grand banks.

Quote, “everyone is demanding change in how we manage the resource.” This is a non-specific remark that can be taken in a range all the way from more of the disastrous federal government’s mismanagement that has, and is destroying the resource to reducing government involvement in management while letting more influence in management from improved, prudent, scientific input like is done in other successful countries like Norway and Iceland.

 
“Canadian fishermen remain among the lowest earners in Canada.’ This is because the bulk of our resource and its profits are in the hands of a few powerful, wealthy people who own processing operations, and own quotas which your government gave to them. They operate factory freezer trawlers which have taken thousands of jobs away from inshore fishers while they send unprocessed fish away from our shore planets, giving jobs to foreign nation. Many harvesters’ licences are owned or contorted by corporations so that fishers working at sea have been squeezed out of their incomes by the need of companies to increase their profits.

 
There are people, such as doctors and dentists and the like, living on the main land who have never stepped on the deck of a boat who own fish quota’s, they receive millions of dollars a year from royalties on fish being caught. There is only so much profit that can be taken out of each season of fishing, if large percentages of this limited profit is taken by such ‘outsiders’ there is less and less for our fishers and plant workers.

 
Consider that in 1992, the year of the moratorium, our NL fishery was worth some $350 million and today it is near $900 million but yet our situation is worst then in 92 as we are losing more jobs and plants, fishers and coastal communities. So it’s easy to understand why our fishers are among the lowest earners in Canada, it is just economics 101. You can understand that can’t you?

“Canada’s fishery is becoming a smaller and smaller player on the world stage. We are no longer seeing the abundance of fish that our country enjoyed in the past, so we can no longer rely on the quantity of this renewable resource to create economic prosperity; better management practices are required. Our government has been making strides in helping the fishery.’

Our fishery is smaller because the bio mass of our fish is at an all-time low, the stocks have been destroyed are not allowed to recover because of mismanagement of the federal government. Your government wants to create economic prosperity for the elite few who now control the fishery.

Part 2  

Continuing the same practices that you have created in the past for giant corporations that has destroyed, and is, and will totally destroy the rest of the resource in the future if you continue in the manner you are implying in this letter.

 
The only way you can create further economic prosperity for anyone from our depleted, dying resource is for less and less peoples and corporations to take more and more of the less and less fish. You know what that means don’t you. In 10 years there will be no fishers, no plant workers, no comminutes in coastal NL and lastly no fishing corporations..because there will be no more fish.

Your government has been making strides in one direction, not in the direction of helping the fishery, but in the direct of destroying it, destroying our treasured heritage and our coastal communities, our maritime culture and our family structure. That is a Fact!

In 62 years of confederation you have taken away our spirit fish, by giving it indifferently to foreign countries, denied its access from our coastal people, and allowed cooperate greed to privatize and garbage can our legacy. You and you alone, the federal government of Canada, have destroyed the spirit of my people, whose ancestors were once the greatest fishermen in the world, the greatest sea people that ever lived.

”We must find ways to make the fishery more valuable, profitable and respectful of the resource for future generations.” If by value you mean the economic success of a few large processing companies there will be no respect of the resource, the fish stocks that god gave us, and in a few short years it will be no more. Your concern for “future generations” in that case is not just hollow, political, empty words they are the insensitive, thoughtless comments from a government who conducts themselves with absolute power, that have corrupted it absolutely.

Your corruption of power and ego is so complete that not only will it destroy the opportunities of our “future generations” of children; it would destroy that of your own children. Take a bow to the world Mr. Ashfield; take one for Canada to the world!

And as for the World Bank suggesting what we should do with our fishery for more money, they have a great record of being concerned for the global economy and the plight of the world starving peoples, who are in the 100's of millions. Their 100's of billions in profits and 100's of millions of dollars for salaries to their CEO’s really show how concerned they are for incomes of subsistence fisheries and laborers all over the world. They are concerned because it’s off the backs of labor industries that they cream off their billions, all on the backs of the struggling poor. Take another bow to the world Mr. Minister, for figuring out that you can squeeze out a few more million for the rich by abusing the lives of the fisher people.

All this ”.. means more jobs and more economic growth in our coastal and rural regions.”
The audaciousness of this remark is beyond my ability to express. How dare you write a letter and say such a thing about our fishery and to my people, and put it in our paper the telegram. You talk about more jobs and more economic growth in our coastal communities when you and the federal government are directly responsible in 20 years for destroying our families, fishers and fisheries jobs by the 10's of thousands. 

Part 3  

What you, and the federal government, are advocating in this letter will destroy our coastal way of life. Our NL soldiers fought in the great wars for Canada and the free world. Fought to protect their children’s, and their children’s children democratic rights as written in Canada’s ‘Chartered Bill of Rights’. If there is an ounce of decency anywhere in the halls of parliament or in the hearts of any person or member who works there I ask for it to be used to do the duty they have sworn to do. Administer to the costal people of NL, and their fishery, the principles so outlined in our bill of rights. Save us from the impending future genocide of our coastal way of life.

You asked for my engagement in this letter, of how we can better manage our Fishery for the future and how our coastal people can improve and save their lives. I have given you my honest answer to the best of my ability, so help me god.

Will you answer these questions for my people? The fisher people, the sea people of NL?

Philip Earle
B.Sc., M.Sc., M.D

Darin King about to investigate OCI Operations? Fin in Mouth disease!

So our Fisheries Minister continued today - on a local talk show - to prove that his government is vindictive toward critics.

The Minister was all over the place unsure if he was against criticism or not - for punishment or not - in charge or not - or simply too frustrated to do his job.

The Minister now wants to restate his position from yesterday - when he informed Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that they may be punished if they criticize the government. Today he removed a million bucks from the FFAW because union chief Earl MacCurdy said the government was not spending it's money in the right places - within the industry.

So the Minister wants us to believe that of the over 50 million spent by government - only 1/50th of which is for special projects with the union - the only immediate concern was that of the FFAW. Darin you believe that Earl was saying that their projects were not worthwhile - so it was okay to start by cutting that?

No you did not believe that Minister King - do not lie. The FFAW was questioning how some investments of the government in the fishery might not be the best investments - so you - without any investigation cut the funds of the one group that spoke out?

Have you in any way contributed to the well-being of OCI? Have the people of Newfoundland and Labrador contributed any funds in any way whatsoever to that company? Has the government provided in any way - policy decisions - that were favourable to OCI?

I recall that OCI criticized King for denying its request for unprocessed export. The government has granted them exemptions in the past - right? Now that Ches and Company have criticized the Minister - how will they be punished?

King went on to talk about the frustration he feels when the FFAW talk about things that he (provincial fisheries Minister) does not have jurisdiction over (fish quota's). Minister - has the government stepped in on quota allocations before?

Where did OCI get all these assets anyway? Was FPI sold? What was sold? Buy it back.

While we are at it - now that OCI has criticized government - will you Minister King launch a full review of their operations and determine if government should be supporting anything at all that it asks for?

As for pointing the finger at the feds and saying it's them not us - and we can't criticize them because they punish critics - the same way you do - then we are all in a mess.

Perhaps it's time for Darin to be shuffled before he puts more fins in mouth.

Darin King provides Best Reason to stop Emera Deal

Minister Darin King appeared on the Fisheries Broadcast yesterday to explain why the government was freezing money to the FFAW for special projects.

During that interview - Minister King made a remarkable comment. We should all read it carefully.

"The Union is questioning the validity of the support that we're putting into the industry and based upon their advice I've asked my officials to stop funding anything the Union or any other groups are doing until I look at it personally. If they feel that the money we're putting into this industry is not going into the right places then I have an obligation as a Minister of the Crown to stop what we're doing and see if there's better ways to spend this money." 

Based on the above statement by Minister King - I will suggest that there are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have been criticizing the Emera deal on Muskrat Falls and have asked the Premier and Ministers to stop funding this deal and to stop supporting it until we review all options on the 6 billion dollar expenditure and see if there's better ways to spend the money.

Considering Darin King was so concerned over the expenditure of a million dollars to the FFAW - he must be killing himself with worry over 6 billion dollars. Certainly he must have heard our voices.

So Darin - please advise your officials that we need to put the brakes on this deal.

The Minister makes a host of interesting comments and is certainly not consistent with his approach to Ministerial Obligations. Press HERE to hear complete interview.

Investigation Needed! Fear of Retribution - Dunderdale's Administation

Take these three statements found in the Telegram in 2012:

- St. John’s lawyer Ches Crosbie said he doesn’t want to become a target for speaking on the Muskrat Falls project, but he’s doing it anyway.

“I don’t want to get pissed on by the government,” he said. “Like anyone, I don’t want to make myself a target.”

 - Fisheries Minister, Darin King, having just removed funding from the FFAW explains why.

"I've clearly learned that no matter what we do in this situation, the FFAW is always going to have a criticism to be lobbied at government. "There's no way they're ever going to be working with us for the betterment of the industry."

- Russell Wangersky on a letter the Telegram received wherein the person asked to remain anonymous.

Friday, a letter came in where the writer said “I would like to publish the attached as a letter to the editor but can't do it under my name.” 

Asked for the reasons for requesting anonymity, the writer mentioned concerns about government retribution against family members. 

__________________________________________________________

These are just a few examples of many wherein either people express their fear of government or the Premier and her Ministers describing bloggers, tweeters, and callers to talk-shows as naysayers, political hacks, ignorant, or foolish. 


Darin King on the Fisheries Broadcast yesterday went on to say that criticism (publicly) is not necessary just come sit at the table. Number one that is a lie - to stop criticizing government does not guarantee they will ever sit at a table. Number two - the desire of this Minister and others - including the Premier - that public discourse be halted is very disturbing. Number three - the continued labelling of citizens who criticize by using very negative adjectives or adverbs - in an attempt to shut them up - is the sign of a very weak government that is not confident in its policies.

Russell Wangersky is his piece says: 

"The fear of retribution is not new: whether it’s a reality or not is hard to know for sure. I know businessmen I’ve talked to in the province — and I’ve said this before — who are willing to talk a lot about Muskrat Falls in private, but who will never speak publicly.

And there have been cases where the province has removed people from positions for making comments the government didn’t approve of." 

Russell is one of the few journalists we have left in the province - however - he too questions the reality of retribution. Maybe it's time for Russell and his colleagues to truly investigate this hypothesis and determine once and for all whether this is the case or not.

I am certain it is - as I personally - have been and continue to be on the receiving end. 


The Dunderdale administration was trained like seals by Premier Williams on the art of attacking citizens and media who dare criticize. While the terribly weak MHA's who bless Danny Williams for their good fortune - continue to behave as told - in order to hang on to the best gig they will ever have; the media should not be so intimidated - that is unless there's something we don't know about their bosses.

The talk-shows on VOCM are NOT what they used to be - the rules are different - and they control the flow of what is debated or discussed. It is NOT a free for all. What Steele and the shareholders of Newfoundland Capital Corporation (headquartered in Nova Scotia) should understand - is that if this intimidation of intelligent citizens continues - the programs will be left with - Tony - Margorie - and Jack - accompanied by Tory Ministers and backbenchers praising the statue of Dunderdale or the inverted M archway heading into the promised Dannyland.

Dr. Phil Earle weighs in on OCI and Exporting Policy

Dear Minister King, Jan 31/2012

At a time when both you and the Premier have made comments recently, pertaining to what power or right our government has on influencing NL companies which export our resources, I would like to communicate my concern on our practice of exporting raw and partially processed fish to foreign markets.

No doubt in some situations it would be appropriate for private companies to export raw, or otherwise partially processed products, out of our province. In this situation the company makes a profit, provides some jobs here and generally adds to the GDP of the province. However it is a totally different situation for the province, our government, our GDP and our people if the bulk, or large amounts, of these resources are shipped in this manner.

An example of this point is unfolding right now in our mining industry with the opening of the new mine in Labrador, where one company bidding for the contract, wants to ship out raw ore creating 200 jobs, and another who wants to produce concentrate pellets here creating 1700 jobs. The value added jobs and economic input into the communities of Labrador by our processing of the ore , may not provide the company with a big % of profit, but it will have multiple, far reaching positive affects into the future of the province, even after the mine is gone.

The fisheries equivalent to this situation is the shipping out of our unprocessed and partially processed fish to China and EU countries, such as that which our province is now facing with the OCI. Naturally a company that ships out some raw fish, gets a high % of profit, creates some jobs and adds some value to the province. But shipping out the bulk of our resource in this manner destroys many more jobs then it creates, creates little, or zero, value added affect for our coastal communities and province.

On the other hand a company that processes ashore and then sells to higher end market’s in places like the USA and UK would create 100's of processing and value added jobs, and add over all wealth to our communities and our province. This over all increased value, provided to our people, would further input and strengthen our infrastructure, support and lift our coastal towns and spirit.

Dr. Phil Earle

Avoiding Policy Errors? OCI proposal.

Below please find letter to Darin King re: OCI proposal.

Hon. Darin King,

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture,
St.John's

Minister King,
                        

Before you make your final decision on the OCI proposal  to export round fish,  you should know  that a very high percentage of the turbot, redfish and as well a high percentage of the yellowtails as well are undersized and continuing this export will do irreparable damage to any hope of groundfish recovery in N&L.   This will be a major policy error on the part of any responsible government and there is no doubt this fact will become well known to all concerned in due time.

 A short time ago we received a call from an office in St. John's  where a gillnetter owner and three of his crew members asked us to meet and discuss the turbot fishery they were involved in off Northern Labrador and Baffin. They have been involved in that turbot fishery for a few years and exporting frozen turbot with heads and tails removed.. They indicated the prices they were receiving for the unprocessed fish and as well for the heads and tails which were packed separately.  However, they are deeply concerned that the turbot fishery will be totally destroyed within the next two/three years at the rate these small fish are now harvested by the larger FFTs of which there are a substantial number now exporting these undersized fish with practically no supervision or control. According to them the turbot are very small, far too young to reproduce and the resource will be destroyed in a short time. Some fish, according to them were the length of your hand. They were asking us to give the matter as much publicity as possible, even though they are involved as gillnetters in the same fishery.  They feel the damage being done by the FFTs is enormous.

We have informed DFO accordingly and requested they immediately investigate the warning passed along to us by those fishermen and owner of the vessel.
We should also make you aware, if you don’t already know that the redfish which is being referred to these days are tiny fish, especially from  the Grand Banks, 3NO areas.  If we had any semblance of fisheries management by DFO or NAFO there would not be any fishery carried out on that slow growing species.

Additionally, it’s remarkable that N&L based FFT owners are responsible for the traditional by catch rate of 5 percent on American Plaice raised to 13 percent at a recent NAFO meeting.  Raising that by catch level to such a high level  will definitely prevent any hope whatever of recovery of that very valuable AP species which was the life blood of the south coast plants for twenty five years before the moratorium.

Minister, this business of exporting such a high percentage of small fish in all three of those species is a very important matter that must  be investigated and cannot be ignored. A political decision to continue exporting those small fish which, without question, is so detrimental to recovery of the resource will be proven to be disastrous to this province in the long term. We bring this matter to your attention and would recommend very strongly that it be discussed with DFO officials who should know it's fundamentally wrong and against every fisheries management principle to permit the harvesting of undersized fish.

Gus Etchegary
Chair
Fishery Community Alliance

PS.  If we make the most disastrous decision we could possibly make and continue the export of unprocessed fish containing as well the high percentage of small undersized fish, the European Fishing nations of NAFO and other fishing pirates will have a field day at Canada's expense. They will effectively ridicule us by stating the fact that both levels of Government (Canada and N&L) are the main contributors to the final demise of our N&L fishery.

CC  Premier Dunderdale

OCI and Advice to Minister King

Below is a letter to Fisheries Minister Darin King from the Fisheries Community Alliance

January25th/2012

Hon.Darin King,

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture,

St. John's, NL

Dear Minister,

                       Over the last few weeks the request of OCI to export unprocessed fish and the expected response of our Government have occupied the minds of fishery participants in the Province. We understand your decision will be made public in the near future and we therefore wish to consolidate the views of the Fisheries Community Alliance on the subject and inform the Minister accordingly.

1)  Following detailed discussions with marketing experts in Europe, North America and Asia we have identified the current state of resources in various fish exporting countries and the demands of the main importers and exporters of fish products by species in those countries. There is no doubt there is a market for round fish for direct consumption in Asia, especially for small, undersized round fish. But that market has existed for the centuries. There is also a market for large fish that is processed into finished products for the US or EU market and the value of which is increased through injection of 15/20 percent water into fillets. We can provide you with the formula used in

Asia.

2) The quality of exports of Asian seafood products is now being seriously questioned by US authorities and a US Senate Committee is about to be formed to deal with problem.

3) There was and still is a very strong market for processed primary and secondary fishery products in Europe, the US, Canada, Asia and some South American Countries. There are well over a one and half billion people in those countries who are sophisticated seafood consumers paying prices far exceeding  those in China or Vietnam. There should not be a problem in that market to sell a miniscule quantity of yellowtail fillets if a N&L fish exporter had an effective marketing and sales

organization.

4) The Deloitte verification of OCI losses must be further investigated. Not as far as its accuracy is concerned but the question is, does it include the costs of its FFT harvesting, landing frozen fillets in Bay Roberts and later trucking to Marystown plant. Then having thawed the fish, processed it in the largest and most expensive plant in N&L in terms of fixed costs, the operators surely had to know it would be difficult to compete with harvesting by an efficient wet-fish trawler and processing in a smaller and far less expensive plant. This would have avoided exporting badly needed N&L processing jobs.

5) Exporting unprocessed  fish by OCI will result in a mass demand by all harvesters to export their catch and the resultant loss of thousands of plant processing jobs. That loss will be permanent and we will lose the processing expertize that has taken 70 years to develop and train those workers.

6) The growing export of unprocessed fish which includes an increased percentage of small, undersized fish will destroy any hope whatever of rebuilding our once huge groundfishery.  It is an undeniable fact that without restoration of the groundfishery fishing communities in N&L will not survive. Federal and Provincial authorities by granting the licenses to export large and small, undersized fish are contributing to the demise of the N&L fishery. The Province must take a leadership role in stopping this activity and seriously promoting the resource rebuilding process by confronting the Canadian Government on major issues being discussed in the Free Trade negotiations with the EU, NAFO fisheries mismanagement and DFO reduction in N&L fisheries management

responsibilities and particularly in the area of fishery science capability and the retention of necessary top level scientists and technologists.

We sincerely hope our Government will take into consideration the major impact the continuation of exports of unprocessed fish will have on the fishing population of N&L. We, the members of the Fisheries Community Alliance are convinced it will eventually destroy what's left of our diminishing resource and the survival of many N&L fishing communities.

Yours very truly,
Gus Etchegary

Chair

Fisheries Community Alliance.

What happened to Good Public Policy? Ask Tom Rideout!

The following is a statement made by Tom Rideout when in government and Trevor Taylor was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

Do they still believe it is Good Public Policy?

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, again, I cannot control the flights of fantasy that the Leader of the Opposition might engage in, but the fact of the matter is, he knows, everybody in Newfoundland knows, the people in Harbour Breton know, the people in Fortune know, the people in Marystown know, the people in other communities around know, that those quotas are assigned to a company. They are not assigned to a community.

Now, should there be community quotas? Maybe, but the fact of the matter is, the reality of the matter is, right now the quotas that used to be assigned to National Sea, we were able to purchase and have them repatriated to Arnold’s Cove. I think that is good public policy. When we speculate on doing that, in terms of the FPI operation, the Leader of the Opposition comes down on us like a ton of bricks.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You are either for that as a public policy option or you are not. So, yes, that is one option and there are many others that we are exploring.

A fishery, who’s history has been cess pooled by private corporate usurping

Below please find a response to John Furlong's article on the Fishery:

Who are We?

“And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?”
‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, by T. S. Eliot.

It would be totally understandable, though not acceptable, if an ordinary citizen of our province had written the
Jan 1,2012 CBC news (cbc.ca) post ‘Assigning blame for lost jobs helps no one’, by John Furlong, host of NL’s CBC radio show ‘the fisheries broadcast’. Many people don’t, nor should they have to, understand the complexity of our fisheries problems. A fishery, who’s history has been cess pooled by private corporate usurping, and powering, of fish licences and quotas attained through the persuasion and coercion of the fisheries mismanaged federal and provincial governments.

Since our confederation a fishery, our treasured heritage, that the federal government has bartered and pandered away for favorable reciprocal international trading practices with the foreign fishing nations of NAFO and the EU. The final blow of the federal government’s policy of disinheriting us from our fishery will be played out in the coming months of the Canadian/EU free trade agreement.

The effect of this, as any elementary school child knows, has been the loss of 40,000 fisheries jobs, borderline rural poverty, gutted coastal communities and the dissemination of our maritime culture. Perhaps many young people, today, in the province don’t understand that it was the fisheries 500 year life line that gave our forefathers substiance, that built our family structures that gave us our unique character and godliness and made the province what it is today.

Losing our fishery will sever the connection we have always had to the sea, and to all these eternal things which we have uniquely been and to which we cling to today. Losing our fishery will destroy our ability, as individuals, to achieve, to connect to what our forefathers mastered and knew so well, the right they passed on to us. Losing our connection to the sea will destroy our birth right of dignity, in finding peace and pleasure, security and contentment within ourselves in our own homeland, from learning and exercising the mastered skills of seafarers. Who, or what, will we be then?

The conventional idea that a solution will solve a problem is an illusion, the thought or notion that ‘coming up with’ or ‘guessing at’ answers to problems will solve them. This hit or miss affair which does not encompass the breadth and depth of ‘what’s wrong’ and thus has nothing to do with the real structure of a problem and what will correct it. Only full understanding of a problem, which includes understanding it’s root cause, the nature and record of its history, if applicable to what may be still happening today, can bring proper insight and action that is needed to fix it. Simply put, if you learn and know fully, the problem, what it has been and what it is now. It will tell you what the solutions are. Fact!

These are just a few simple facts of what the fishery has been and what it ‘is’ now, today. They are not biased or based on my impression, opinion, wants, feelings, emotions or ego. It has nothing to do with me or any one person’s opinion, nor does it have anything to do with going back to the ways of the past, fishing in the ‘old ways’. It has to do with one thing only, the truth. There are many who don’t want the truth exposed or who would like those like me proven wrong and shown to be fools. Well that’s simple to do, it only requires taking on the truth of the matter as it has been requested. Why has it not been done?

After reading Furlongs article and in light of my comments I give the following response.

It is not acceptable that the host of NL’s premier fisheries radio show be permitted to belittle and denigrate the fisher people, the fishery and the coastal communities of this province. His opinion and manner in attacking attempts to expose fisheries truth and the people whose lives depend on it is wrong. But its consequences, of him being in the position of holding up the peoples trust on the Fisheries Broadcast, are in total disrespect of the crisis facing our province. For some time the FB present host has subtly been pushing and defending the federal and corporate agenda. He should be replaced.

What is this all about? Do you know?

It is about this planet’s god given treasure to us Newfoundlander’s and Labradorian’s, the Grand Banks of NL and the surrounding greatest fishery in the world. And what is that for? Yours and my children, and their children’s children. Fact!

“We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”

Philip Earle

Gus Etchegary responds to Fisheries Broadcast Host John Furlong

The following is a response from Gus Etchegary 

to the Host of the Fisheries Broadcast - John Furlong 

John, Reading your diatribe on the present state of the fishery finally confirms what we suspected from the early days you came on the scene as host of Fisheries Broadcast. The Ottawa fishery bureaucracy of DFO convinced the hierarchy of CBC to put someone in charge of the broadcast who could discover and make the most inane and stupid comments on the N&L fishery since we joined Confederation. Having heard you occasionally on the Broadcast and being assured by White Hills Communications Branch, those experts in remote Ottawa were certain you would come through in "flying colors".

 Pretending, and somehow believing, you are somewhat of an expert in the fishery of this Province you somehow or other got really confused between the cause of closure of Marystown and Port Union fish plants and the loss of a supermarket in Churchill Square and the narrow-gauged railway that used to operate across NFLD many years ago. On the basis of the statements made on the CBC website today it is clear you have no idea what you are talking about and considering the importance of our fisheries to the survival of N&L, CBC officials had better wake up and replace you with some competent individual as soon as possible. Maybe you did everyone a favor today by exposing your serious deficiencies in performing the job as host of Fisheries Broadcast.

The fact is our the renewable fishery is all important to the survival of rural N&L at the present time and will be just as important to the survival of St. John's when the non- renewable oil and minerals are exhausted. It's so important, during this crucial period, for our present N&L Government to provide the real leadership needed to forcefully persuade the federal Government to rebuild the resource. Your confused outburst today on our CBC website illustrates conclusively that you are not the person to convey to the public or anyone else the urgency of rebuilding and sustainably managing our vital fisheries. John, a moratorium on our groundfisheries was declared in 1992. For your information there is no sign whatever of its recovery to date. In your position you should have been using every opportunity on the Broadcast to make Canadians aware of the contrast between the well-managed fisheries of Norway, Iceland and other countries and those in N&L in particular where fisheries mismanagement by Ottawa has caused its collapse. Wake up John, its 2012.

Anyone with real knowledge of our fisheries is aware of the continuing overfishing on a diminishing groundfish resource, the declining crab and shrimp stocks and the fact that DFO have abandoned their fisheries management responsibility. Our science capability has been gutted and further financial cuts are due along with serious reductions in the number of fishery scientists and other technology personnel, research survey vessels and the important annual surveys that are so essential. Foreign NAFO members and EU Free Trade negotiators have exchanged documentation to facilitate expanding foreign activity inside 200 miles. These Free Trade negotiations regarding fisheries, now taking place, are a major issue and should be publicized. Seismic blasting , pollution of valuable fishing grounds and the loss of important fishing areas on the Grand Banks are also issues that must be dealt with along with contents of the MOU.

Surely, John those matters should be of more concern to the  host of Fisheries Broadcast, than the loss of the railway fifty years ago and the closure of the Churchill Park supermarket. CBC, you have received a strong signal for a change in delivering  Fisheries Broadcast. Unless Mr. Harper's directive to CBC takes precedence.

Apathy is the Solution for Fishery Woes? John Furlong's Answer?

When I first read "Assigning blame for lost jobs helps no one" I gasped, shook my head, and then settled into a period of remorse - as yet another Newfoundlander and Labradorian had been overcome by a rogue wave hitting the beach off the Fisheries Broadcast.

John Furlong's article does nothing more than justify apathy, dissuade questions and accountability, and marginalize any person who is fighting for the survival of the fishery (that is in any other way than resettlement and downsizing).

I took from his piece that one who owns assets has the answers and those who work within the sector do not. The Corporate merchants - they are the ones we need to look to for the way forward.

This story followed another by Furlong titled, "Change in the N.L. Fishery: Get used to it" and are both pro-apathy pieces from the Fisheries Broadcast host.

Fortunately for John - his corporation saw fit to have an entire program on this resource and not replace it with one called The Supermarket Broadcast - in recognition of that renewable natural resource. But he will get to retirement on it - unless perhaps the Sullivan's file a complaint with Stephen Harper and get the show cancelled before Furlong's on-air farewell.

To compare the loss of fishplants and that industry in dozens of rural communities to the loss of a supermarket in the middle of St. John's is absurd and irresponsible. Further if the oil economy is right - there may be a replacement in the area sooner rather than later - as the buoyant population of the city - and the free-flowing wealth will be catered to.

Then Furlong goes on to talk about the racket regarding the loss of the train. We all got over that right? What a joke. The highway cannot tolerate the traffic of heavy vehicles, we do not have a divided highway across the province, we have lost the ability to have fed input (cash) as we gave that up to for a piece of a road being widened without any ongoing funds for maintenance. As for the narrow gauge argument - that was propaganda as well - as many still exist or have made some changes to standard gauge and remain a very efficient, reliable, method of transporting goods and in many cases people.

The townies did not "need" it therefore it can go. There were political buddies that made money on the changeover to highway transport. Just to make sure it never came back - a quick destruction of the assets was employed and now we get to fight over snowmobiles, atv's or hikers.

Looking for answers is a real problem for Furlong and he is asking that you stop too. As one of the richest pieces of geography on the planet we had better keep looking for answers or future generations will have nothing left. In Furlong's world there would not be a need for a new host for the Broadcast in the future - who would listen? The Penney's Barry's and Sullivan's of the world do not need the CBC and may in fact hate tax-dollars being used for it. What they need is increased profits, greater access to the raw resource, and little to no interference by the owners of the resources, the people - through their elected bodies (both provincial and federal).

As the owners of what was one of the best renewable fisheries in the world, significant hydro-electric resources, forestry resources and fresh water coupled with non-renewable wealth such as minerals, oil, and gas - we have not done very well have we?

This quote from Furlong is particularly disturbing:

"We live on what used to be the world's richest fishing grounds. Year after year we turned out a fishery that was uneconomical, not very competitive and pretty well uninspiring. There's plenty of blame to go around to explain that."

Okay John, what happened to the resource? When was it uneconomical? Was it more beneficial for the merchant, the fisherman, or the plant-worker? When was it "not very competitive" - and how was it uninspiring? There's plenty of blame you claim - okay John - who is to blame? What is the role of the federal government? Who will make up for the billions in lost revenue to this province? If you do not want to consider workers, communities, or entire populations as relevant - how about the cash?

Your outward feelings on people like Dr. Phil Earle or Gus Etchegary are also quite revealing. What do you think their agendas are? Who are they trying to harm? Why are they so dismayed at what is happening? Is their information incorrect? Are they nuisances for continuing to ask questions? Do you believe they do not want a positive outcome? Are you annoyed because they want answers? Do you find them foolish for wanting a reason for the collapse - in order to find the best way forward for all our people not just the merchants?

The moratorium was supposed to be over by now - the stocks were supposed to be recovered - what happened to that? What does John Crosbie think went wrong with that? If there has been a harm and a party was constitutionally or legally responsible for the management - then there is blame and there is compensation. We have not been compensated John. You do understand John that a supermarket in St. John's is not a renewable resource nor is it or was it the responsibility of the federal government to manage. You do understand John - the government believes that the retail market in the St. John's area is so hot - that we have jobs now that can't be filled - so likely there will be immediate and like opportunities to those displaced by that closure in Churchill Square. You do know that many of those working in the retail sector are doing it while attending university or college or may be supplementing retirement income. You also know that most in the fishery are in it as a lifelong occupation.

I wonder if the employee in a St. John's supermarket somehow cannot find work in this "hot" retail market suddenly found that they could not pay their mortgage due to revenue loss - would they suffer a devaluation of that asset? This in comparison to somebody losing a job in a rural community - that also happened to lose the entire industry - rendering their asset essentially valueless. Do you John see any difference there other than the one difference you did quote?

You do realize John that a supermarket being lost is not going to cause too much economic upheaval over the next 20 years - whereas the loss of natural renewable resources will cripple us when the oil is gone. What is the difference between the two from a straight economic perspective?

If you believe that no further study is needed to determine cause - then tell us what was the cause? If that cause or causes include the federal government mismanaging the resource - then there has been an injury and where there is injury there is remedy through compensation.That compensation would do a number of things; including but not limited to - allow the proper compensation for lost wages, career, and asset devaluation - no different than what would be awarded in other litigation's such as victims of accidents. The compensation would allow the province to complete more not less scientific research of the fishery. The compensation would allow the survival of communities until the resource recovers or until other industrial opportunities are found. It would also allow those affected start-up funds for other ventures such as the development of land in St. John's purchased at $4000 an acre. Perhaps the fishers should be awarded provincial parks, or rivers for small-hydro development. Perhaps the entire quota should be delivered to the communities, fishers and plant-workers to sell in Asia.

Why are any resources in the hands of an OCI as a corporate entity when owners of the resource are shut out?

What Furlong has concluded is the who,what,where, when and why is discouraged while "get used to it" apathy is encouraged. Do not be fooled by this approach people - the continued destruction of this industry and resource will harm your children and their children much more than the closure of a supermarket in Churchill Square and will impact our ability to deliver health care, education, and build essential infrastructure a decade out.

If you can at all believe that the oil resources will eventually be exhausted - it is not a stretch for you to consider what next.

In every other resource sector, hydro-electric, mining, forestry, and oil we have been a population that has not processed enough finished product - and as a result we did not enjoy maximum industrial benefits. If other countries and provinces can create wealth - without their own resources - but simply by processing ours - we have to ask ourselves - what are we doing?

If we do not ask why - or who is to blame - we will NOT find a solution that works for people - we will simply capitulate to a few wealthy shareholders who will take whatever we will give them - the less they have to commit the better.

OCI knew what they were doing when they got the buy from FPI and from the time they got their hands on it - was the time they started to plan to reduce commitments and maximize profits. This is fine for a supermarket chain - it is not fine for a natural - renewable - resource owned by the people.

There is no doubt the answer is giveaway - now we MUST ask why we continue to allow it.

John Furlong has his own opinion and we are allowed to have ours. We are permitted to ask questions and demand answers despite John's feeling that this is a waste of time.

We don't have to "get used to" anything - in fact we are fully within our rights to tell those we elect and employ that we will not get used to it and if you can't do what we need and want - we can hire somebody else.

The slow death of communities and the fishery sector has been in part very orchestrated and very planned. Bit by bit - while urban populations are bored and growing with a temporary oil bonanza - one by one rural communities are being decimated. The townies do not want to hear the "whining" of fishermen - in a sense telling their great-great grandparents to shut-up.

Part of the placation of the fishermen and plant workers was a new boom in the shellfish sector. What John will become of that? We are only mismanaging that because we are suffering from the mismanagement of groundfish.

Watching each other bleed until enough of us are gone - is not the answer. Stepping up to the plate - showing some real guts and fighting for what is right - includes the asking of questions.

Two interesting story ideas for John:

1. Is your job being impacted by the disaster?

2. Why do more rural Newfoundlanders and Labradorians carpool than commuters in the city?

Thank you to social media - for I fear that if mainstream media still had control - we would know nothing of our impending death. That is unless is was crime in the courts or carnage on the highway.

If we believe that the only wisdom is that which comes from our elected government or journalists - apathy has won. There is nothing in the world more damaging than good people encouraged to do nothing and actually listening to that advice.

One thing has become completely predictable - the mantra of "stop asking questions". What's up with that?