COVID-19 Active Fishermen’s Committeehaa.bc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Committee-Intro-letter.pdfCOVID-19 Active Fishermen’s Committee 1 April 6, 2020 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

COVID-19 Active Fishermen’s Committee

1

April6,2020TOWHOMITMAYCONCERN:

Wearewritingtointroduceourselves.OnWednesday,March25th,150activefishermenfromalmosteveryfisheryinBCmetviavideocalltodiscussCOVID-19impactsonthecommercialsector,andinparticular,activefishermen.Afterthreehours,itwasdecidedtofurtherthediscussionbycommitteeandacommitteewassetuptorepresentasmanydifferentfisheriesaspossible.TheCOVID-19ActiveFishermen’sCommittee(CVAFC)ismadeupof25activefishermenandrepresentativesfishermen’sorganizations.Ourcommitteeishardworking:intheweekssincetheFishermen’sMeeting,theCommitteehasmetfivetimes.

TheCommitteehasadoptedthefollowingastermsofreference:

• Thecommittee’sinterestistodealwithissuesarisingfromtheCoronaviruspandemicrelatedtofisheries

• Thiscommitteeismadeupofactivefishermenandactivefishermen’srepresentatives• Thecommitteewillrespectdifferentareasoffishinginterest• Thecommitteewillmeetwithothergroups(processors–BCSA–FN–AVICC/CCN–PICFI

program)andarriveatpositionsofcommonsupport• Thecommittee’sgoalsaretoprotectfishermenandourcommunitieswhilehavingfairand

viablefisheries• HelpingfishermendealwiththeeconomicimpactsoftheCovid-19pandemic• Thecommitteeisnottocreatefishingplansormanagementchangesfordifferentfisheries

TheCOVID-19ActiveFishermen’sCommitteesupportstheProvincialGovernment’sdeclarationoffisheriesasanessentialservice.WearealsosupportingtherequestforagovernmentemergencyTaskForcetoworkoutCOVID-19issuesastheyimpactthecommercialfishingsectorasawhole.TheCVAFCwouldrepresentactivefishermeninadvicetotheTaskForce.

Uptothispoint,theCOVID-19ActiveFishermen’sCommitteehasbeenworkingonfourissues:principlesforchange,fishermen-communityinteractionprotocols,market/industrystabilizationandfinancialrelief.Weareliaisingwithourcounterpartsacrossthecountryaswellasworkingwithindustrygroups,communitiesandindigenousorganizationstobuildsolidandsupportedapproaches.Wehaveadoptedthefollowingprinciplestoguidediscussionsthroughouttheindustryonfisheriesmanagementissues:

a. Fisheriesareanessentialserviceandeveryeffortshouldbemadeforfisheriestogoaheadinordertosupportfoodsecurity.

b. WhatevermeasuresaretakentogetusthroughthissituationwillbetemporaryandonlyforthedurationoftheCOVID-19pandemic.

c. Whateverchangesareputinplacemustsupportactivefishermen,promoteequitableopportunitiesandsupportruralcommunities.Activeharvestersarethekeyproducersofseafoodforthecountry,andanychangesshouldprotecttheirinterests.

d. Encouragethatallleasingarrangementsmadepriortopandemicbereviewed.

e. TheimpactofanychangesimplementedtodealwiththeCOVID-19pandemicsupport,asbestaspossible,equitabledistributionofbenefitsforallactivefishermeninafishery.

WehavedraftedasetofFishermen-CommunityProtocolstoensurethesafetyoffishermenandthecoastalcommunitiesweinteractwith.TheCOVID-19ActiveFishermen’sCommitteeisprovidingittofishermen’sassociations,fishbuyersandcommunitiesfortheircomments.WebelieveissuesofhealthandsafetythisarebestdealtwithattheProvinciallevelbuttheprotocolsareofsuchurgency;wearetryingtogetaheadstartontheprocess.

COVID-19isnegativelyaffectedmarketsandtheeconomicviabilityofmanycommunities.CVAFCiswillingtoworkwithorganizationsandcommunitiestosupportlocalfoodsecuritythroughthiscrisis.Pleasedoreachouttoustoseeifwecanhelpmeetyourneedsduringthiscrisis.

Yourstruly,COVID-19ActiveFishermen’sCommittee(CVAFC)

Secretariat

AndyOlson EDNativeFishingAssociation:FAsalmongillnetherringhalibutrockfishshrimp

executive.director@shoal.ca Rep

JimMcIsaac EDCommercialFishingCaucus;PacificVPCanadianIndependentFishHarvestersFederation;GTAC;HIAB

jamcisaac@shaw.ca Rep

JoyThorkelson(Chair) President,UFAWU-Unifor president@ufawu.org Rep

Members

ChrisAshton EDBCSalmonPurseSeinersAssociation areab@telus.net Rep

BobBurkosky LingcodAssn;AreaCGillnetHarvestCommittee rpburkos@shaw.ca

RepActive

Helen-AnneBeans SalmonSeine;prawns;herringgillnet h_beans21@hotmail.com FNActive

PhilBurgess PresidentPacificShrimpFishermen’sAssociation philburgess@telus.net Active

DuncanCameron BCCrabFishermen’sCrabAssn;Crab,Prawn duncangcameron87@gmail.comRepActive

HendersonCharley hendoc.13@gmail.com FNActive

MikeEmes AreaCgillnet oceans.best@hotmail.com Active

DanEdwards

EDAreaACrabAssociation;BCCrabFishermen’sAssn;dogfish,halibut,sablefish

danedwards@telus.netRepActive

GustaveJohnson Tuna-CanadaandUS;AreaFandGTroll thorjohnson@shaw.ca Active

GuyJohnston

PrawnIndustryCaucus;AreaHHarvestCommittee;AreaFtroll mrfishing@telus.net

RepActive

JamesLawson SalmonSeine;prawns;geoduck;crabs james04_04@hotmail.com FN;Active

PamLewis Secretary-Treasurer,NativeBrotherhoodofBC Pamelaleelewis@wewaikai.com FNRep

KyleLouis IMAWGBoardofDirectors;AreaICrab;herringgillnet;salmongillnetAreasD&E;prawns

kyle-louis@hotmail.comFN;ActiveFNRep

StuartMalcolm AreaFTrollHarvestCommittee;troll S_T_Malcolm@hotmail.comRepActive

DaveMcKay

PresidentAreaFTrollAssn;AreaFHarvestCommittee;salmontroll,gillnet,halibut davemackay6@hotmail.com

RepActive

EddieMise Packer;salmon,herring westcoastshrimp@hotmail.com Active

EmilyOrr PrawnIndustryCaucus offishal_business@hotmail.com Rep

JohnStevens GillnetAreasCandD johnstevens@lightspeed.ca Active

TonyRoberts President,NativeBrotherhoodofBC tonyrobertsjr@gmail.com FNRep

LanceUnderwood

EDBCCrabFishermen’sAssociation;AreaGCrabRepresentative;prawn captnlance@gmail.com

RepActive

BrianWadhams AreaDGillnet;AlertBay brianwadhams@hotmail.com FN;Active

EdWillson AreaCGillnet;BellaCoola eddywillson@outlook.com Active

JoshYoung HerringIndustryAdvisoryBoard;AreaFtroll;AreaCandDgillnet;Halibut;ZN

joshyoung@dccnet.comRepActive