Minister will not support production quotas for crab

Gerry Reid, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today reaffirmed that he will not support production quotas for crab processors in the province.

"There are rumours in the industry which indicate that the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is in support of production quotas for crab processors," said Minister Reid. "I would like to make it very clear that the province is not in support of production quotas for crab. Any speculation to the contrary is totally inaccurate, and I felt that it was important to clarify our position."

Last fall, after a three month shut down, the shrimp fishery was reopened on the basis of an agreement between the government, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) and the Fisheries Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (FANL). As a part of the agreement, the province signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FANL on a pilot project for a production caps system for shrimp only, to be in place until the end of the 2002 season. FANL was responsible for the coordination of the allocations of quotas among existing shrimp plants in the province. To date, production quotas have not been implemented for shrimp.

"The agreement for the pilot project on shrimp production caps explicitly stated that no consideration would be given to extending the production caps to any other species, specifically crab. This was clearly understood by all parties," added the minister. "From the moment the shrimp fishery was closed last July, our main goal and priority was to reopen the fishery, and this was accomplished by the agreement which included the production cap pilot project. At no time, however, did we ever contemplate extending this to any species other than shrimp. I, along with the union, am opposed to any suggestion of crab production quotas."

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709) 729-3733, or (709) 727-3438.

2002 05 30                                3:00 p.m.