N.L. fishermen declare victory, head home after protests in St. John's

Fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are declaring victory in their negotiations with the provincial government, and are heading home after a recent protest that brought out riot police in St. John's.

Fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are declaring victory in their negotiations with the provincial government, and are heading home after a recent protest that brought out riot police in St. John's.

Protest leader John Efford Jr. told harvesters just after noon on Friday that provincial officials had met their key demand, and will start to open up the market for unprocessed fish and crab in the province.

"We got it done!" Efford Jr. exclaimed. "Every fish harvester in this province got it done."

Fishermen celebrated the deal as historic, and a game-changer for their fishing businesses. Efford Jr. was emotional as he worked his way through his speech — using a megaphone from the bed of a white pickup truck. Many harvesters credited Efford Jr., particularly, for his work leading the demonstrators.

"I can't put it into words how happy I am today," said Bruce Short, who travelled to St. John's from the rural community of Long Island, in Newfoundland's Green Bay.

One man told Efford Jr. that his father would be proud of him — John Efford was a former fisheries minister and a longtime provincial politician. He died in 2022 after revealing he had been battling Alzheimer's disease.

Efford Jr. has struggled to speak about his father without breaking into tears, and has repeatedly declined to speak about his father’s legacy and their relationship.