Some regions see large cuts to snow crab quotas, while total catch rises

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 2:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Some areas of Newfoundland and Labrador's snowfall crab fishery person seen large reductions, despite the full allowable drawback arsenic a full going up 9 per cent.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans released their yearly quota Saturday morning, but protesters were already demonstrating Friday successful Grand Falls-Windsor against anticipated cuts successful part 3K.

Those cuts did arrive. 3K is the hardest hit, losing astir a 4th of past year's full allowable drawback astatine 7,643 tonnes, down from 9,998 tonnes successful 2024.

The FFAW is already anticipating a hard play owed to tariffs successful the U.S., the azygous largest purchaser of N.L. snowfall crab. In a release, the national said the cuts were "wholly unacceptable to food harvesters, arsenic they are fundamentally misaligned with the ecological realities of the region."

Similarly, Subdivision 3Ps saw a nonaccomplishment of astir 16 per cent, down to 7,506 tonnes, down from 8,936 tonnes successful 2024.

However, successful 3LNO the quota is up 25% to 45,333 tonnes, up from 36,403 tonnes past year.

And the fishery arsenic a full volition spot a full allowable drawback of 62,883 tonnes, up from past year's 57,568.

Crab prices inactive uncertain

Meanwhile, negotiations betwixt the FFAW/Unifor and the Association of Seafood Producers were inactive astatine an impasse starring into the play and are scheduled to proceed to a sheet for reappraisal connected Sunday.

In a release, the national said they would similar to hold the sheet review, because "with the uncertainty astir tariffs and the quality past nighttime connected 3K crab quotas, the committee feels a proceeding astatine this clip is not successful the champion involvement of the industry."

The snowfall crab play is scheduled to statesman April 1 successful astir areas, with delays successful parts of country 3K.

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