Hard on the head; summer shrimp price won’t be released until Sunday (June 26th)

The province’s fish price-setting panel won’t be releasing the summer price of shrimp until Sunday, June 26th, because of a “personal matter with a panel member." With all due respect to the three-person panel, there are two alternate members for a reason.

Terry Ryan and son Josh (skipper) operate the Atlantic Bluefin Too out of La Scie on Newfoundland's northeast coast. Taken Monday (June 20th), the video shows the boat being unloaded Monday (June 20th) in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

This season has been hard enough on the head of the inshore shrimp fleet — which has yet to leave the wharf (with the exception of the Ryans) since the fishery opened on May 29th — because processors won’t buy for the spring price of $1.42/lb, as set by the provincial government-appointed price-setting panel.

To add yet another delay — keeping in mind the inshore shrimp fleet might not fish at all this year, no matter what summer price is chosen by the panel — just adds to the ridiculousness of the situation.

Mental torture is another way to put it.

Boats won’t fish for the 90¢/lb processors have on the table, and processors won’t buy for the $1.36/lb the FFAW has proposed. With the price-setting panel set to choose one or the other.

Meantime, much of the Gulf fleet in particular is solely dependent on shrimp, and EI claims have been exhausted.

Ryan Cleary, Executive Director, SEA-NL To read more about SEA-NL, or to join the non-profit organization please visit sea-nl.ca