Crab catch price creeps up and plants ramp up as delayed N.L. harvest enters third week

The protests and the rhetoric have somewhat subsided, and the catch price has improved slightly, as Newfoundland and Labrador's long delayed and controversy-riddled snow crab harvest enters a third week.

"It's been a very smooth start largely due to the state of readiness that producers have been in now for eight weeks," Jeff Loder, executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers, said Friday.

Twenty of the province's 22 crab processing plants plants are in operation, said Loder, and thousands of people are back on the job — both on the water and on land — as the massive quota of roughly 54,000 metric tonnes is gradually harvested from the ocean floor.

"We have processed over 13 million pounds (roughly 5,900 tonnes), which I'm happy to report to the province is 11 per cent of the quota," said Loder.

Market conditions have also improved, triggering an increase in the minimum catch price from $2.20 per pound to $2.25, with the higher price to take effect Sunday.

"We're hopeful that prices will continue to rise and the value created by the snow crab fishery in this province will be shared according to the agreements that we have in place," said Loder.

But there's rarely smooth sailing in the fishing industry, with tensions continuing to simmer between the ASP and the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union, which represents harvesters and plant workers.

Some outstanding issues include trip limits for fishing vessels to ensure an orderly harvest and maintain the highest quality, changes in the long-standing policy that allowed a 20 per cent tolerance for smaller crab before the catch price was reduced, and allegations that the under-40 fleet was getting the cold shoulder from some companies.

FFAW-Unifor president Greg Pretty was not available for comment on Friday, but Loder said discussions about trip limits are ongoing.

He said trip limits included in the licences for many harvesters are being strictly enforced by federal fisheries officers.

"There have been some enforcement actions taken," he said.

Loder said a broader harvesting schedule based on the production capacity at various plants is also the subject of talks between both sides.

"To date we are doing our best to manage everything. And I'm optimistic as the season unfolds, everybody will be able to harvest snow crab."

Some harvesters have reported waiting anywhere from three to six days to return to the fishing grounds after landing their catch, raising questions about whether the entire quota can be caught this year. But Loder said that's the goal.