Waiting for crab processing licences

By Aaron Beswick

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

Both Englee and Conche, N.L. are still waiting on word from the provincial government on whether their community will receive a crab processing licence.

“The (Fish Processing Licencing Board) and Mr. (Trevor) Taylor know that in order to prepare for next year, we need to know before the fall sets in,” said Conche Mayor Gerry Bromley.

“We are waiting patiently.”

Northern Seafoods Ltd., owner of the Conche processing plant, has applied for a snow crab processing licence which would extend its operating season.

In Englee, meanwhile, Deep Atlantic International Inc. has applied for shrimp, crab, pelagics, groundfish, whelk and lump roe processing licences. According to council, the processor intends to build a new plant in Englee upon receiving the licences.

“It’s time we knew – it’s almost too late,” said Mayor Edgar Fillier, who travelled with his entire council to St. John’s in July to present Englee’s case to the Fish Processing Licencing Board.

“We understand that it takes three weeks plus, but it’s unprecedented that it would take two months.”

The board is not expected to approve crab licences for both communities as it’s mandated with restricting overcapacity in the industry. According to both Mayor Fillier and Mayor Bromley, the licencing board has made its recommendation and the matter is resting with acting fisheries minister Trevor Taylor for approval.

Englee has had several successive investors promising to build a processing plant, but in the meantime, many of the town’s 100 former plant workers have left the community.

“We’ve been trying to wrap our heads around what else we can do in Englee other than process fish – but we can’t find anything else,” said councillor Rudy Porter. “If not this than what else are we going to do here?”