By Canadian Press

N.L. plans to go ahead with budget as fishers gather for second day of protest

Mar 21, 2024 | 6:24 AM

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A large crowd of Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters once again gathered outside the legislature Thursday morning, a day after shutting down the presentation of the provincial budget.

It was the second day of demonstrations after Wednesday’s chaotic conflict between police and protesters led to two people, including a police officer, being taken away on stretchers.

The provincial government has sent an email saying it intends to proceed with delivering its 2024-25 budget. A judge granted an injunction on Wednesday that prohibits the protesters from blocking access to the building.

The fish harvesters say they’re fighting for free market conditions in their industry, which they claim is controlled by a small “cartel” of companies that have too much power.

John Efford, a fish harvester from Port de Grave, N.L., who is leading the protest, said they don’t intend to block government officials from entering the Confederation Building as they did on Wednesday.

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“We’re not blocking anybody,” he said, adding: “We’re asking people just to respect our picket line.”

Police officers were set up along the perimeter of the crowd near the entrance of the building, with some wearing helmets and carrying plastic shields.

Just before 9 a.m., a man approached the building as if he was going to enter. Harvesters blocked his way and began yelling for him not to cross their line. 

“Take the day off!” one shouted from the crowd, before a police officer appeared and escorted the man away.

Efford said in an interview that it’s “an emotional situation.”

“Our businesses, our families, everything that we’ve worked for is on the line, and we’re standing up in a parking lot outside a government building trying to get something done properly.”

The fish harvester said regulations affecting smaller, independent processors need to be altered, and the province needs to allow more buyers from outside the market to purchase the catch. 

He said under existing rules, smaller companies are often hit with caps affecting how much they can buy from fishers, and that can force fishers to bring their catch to the larger processors, who don’t have the same limits.

Elvis Loveless, provincial minister of fisheries, has said the province has already started seeking applications for more buyers. As well, he said the government will increase processing capacity in the snow crab industry before the start of the 2024 season.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Premier Andrew Furey said there’s a right to protest peacefully, but the demonstrators must not block workers from going to their jobs or use violence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press