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
JimMcIsaac EDCommercialFishingCaucus;PacificVPCanadianIndependentFishHarvestersFederation;GTAC;HIAB
JoyThorkelson(Chair) President,UFAWU-Unifor [email protected] Rep
Members
ChrisAshton EDBCSalmonPurseSeinersAssociation [email protected] Rep
BobBurkosky LingcodAssn;AreaCGillnetHarvestCommittee [email protected]
RepActive
Helen-AnneBeans SalmonSeine;prawns;herringgillnet [email protected] FNActive
PhilBurgess PresidentPacificShrimpFishermen’sAssociation [email protected] Active
DuncanCameron BCCrabFishermen’sCrabAssn;Crab,Prawn [email protected]
HendersonCharley [email protected] FNActive
MikeEmes AreaCgillnet [email protected] Active
DanEdwards
EDAreaACrabAssociation;BCCrabFishermen’sAssn;dogfish,halibut,sablefish
GustaveJohnson Tuna-CanadaandUS;AreaFandGTroll [email protected] Active
GuyJohnston
PrawnIndustryCaucus;AreaHHarvestCommittee;AreaFtroll [email protected]
RepActive
JamesLawson SalmonSeine;prawns;geoduck;crabs [email protected] FN;Active
PamLewis Secretary-Treasurer,NativeBrotherhoodofBC [email protected] FNRep
KyleLouis IMAWGBoardofDirectors;AreaICrab;herringgillnet;salmongillnetAreasD&E;prawns
[email protected];ActiveFNRep
StuartMalcolm AreaFTrollHarvestCommittee;troll [email protected]
DaveMcKay
PresidentAreaFTrollAssn;AreaFHarvestCommittee;salmontroll,gillnet,halibut [email protected]
RepActive
EddieMise Packer;salmon,herring [email protected] Active
EmilyOrr PrawnIndustryCaucus [email protected] Rep
JohnStevens GillnetAreasCandD [email protected] Active
TonyRoberts President,NativeBrotherhoodofBC [email protected] FNRep
LanceUnderwood
EDBCCrabFishermen’sAssociation;AreaGCrabRepresentative;prawn [email protected]
RepActive
BrianWadhams AreaDGillnet;AlertBay [email protected] FN;Active
EdWillson AreaCGillnet;BellaCoola [email protected] Active
JoshYoung HerringIndustryAdvisoryBoard;AreaFtroll;AreaCandDgillnet;Halibut;ZN
