Most fishermen agree with the rules, says union rep

By Anne Barker

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

John Boland says when the buddy-up system was first introduced, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) mailed questionnaires to every fisherman requesting their input.

Boland, who is staff representative with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW), says every fish harvester with an enterprise was asked to vote on whether there should be a buddy-up system.

"The condition at that time when DFO did that vote was for a maximum of two fishermen. That is the history of it and that speaks of itself."

Later, when rationalization of the industry was being discussed, there were intensive meetings and talks involving FFAW members. Boland says at the time there was also a lot of debate about what number should be the maximum in a buddy-up arrangement.

"It was the same thing. The majority of people agreed it would be a maximum of two. And that was voted on by fishermen."

Boland says some fishermen continued to fish with more than two people. Now DFO intends to stop that practice.

"I don't think it is fair for anyone to say that something was done in the dark of night behind closed doors.

"In all fairness, what you are not hearing is from all the other fishermen in Bonavista Bay…All this debate happened in public and happened with the fishermen themselves. I am probably the last person to be answering these questions; it should be the fishermen in Bonavista Bay who should answer," Boland said.

"All I can tell you is that all this debate was held in public and the DFO had a vote on it back around 1997. There's been a couple of rounds on this and each time the consensus among fishermen-I'm not saying it was unanimous-but the consensus was to limit it to two people.

(Anne Barker is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Packet newspaper, which is a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)