Tri-town fishermen campaign to keep N.L. DFO office open

By Aaron Beswick

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

Tri-town fishermen want the Port au Choix, N.L. Department of Fisheries and Oceans office open for more of the fishing season.

The DFO office, used by fishermen for crew and licence paperwork, stopped providing those services for the season on June 26. Fishermen are now required to drive to Rocky Harbour or St. Anthony.

“Here they have a beautiful $4-million building serving a lot of fishermen and then they make us drive two hours to Rocky Harbour to put our name on a piece of paper,” said small boat fisherman Myron LaVallee. “How can we afford to go to Rocky Harbour when we can’t afford to go get a can of paint for our boats?”

Sickness kept LaVallee in hospital this year until June 29 and he had to start fishing cod on July 7. LaVallee and a fellow fishermen work two cod licences from one speedboat to save on fuel, working 12 gillnets. With the office closed all week and still recovering from his illness, he went on the water without having his buddy-up papers signed.

He was boarded when he returned to Port au Choix and ordered to haul six of the gillnets out of the water by the next day.

“It cost me around $1,500 in missed catch and extra fuel. If I can’t afford to drive to St. Anthony, I certainly can’t afford that.”

Port Saunders fisherman Ken Ryan has circulated a petition in an attempt to put some pressure on DFO. He estimates 400 fishing enterprises use the building.

“We can’t afford to loose it…if we want a licence or need to get a different crew member you have to go sign for him to get on the boat with you,” said Ryan. “Everything in the world goes on down at DFO when the fishery is on the go. When it’s open we get excellent service down at that building, you couldn’t ask for better.”

DFO spokesperson Larry Vaters allayed some fears of fisherman, by saying that the office isn’t closing permanently.

“Nothing is being changed between this year and last – this is standard operating schedule,” said Vaters. “February to June is the peak period for licensing services so that’s when it’s open.”

(Aaron Beswick is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Northern Pen newspaper, which is a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)