NCC outraged by Minister of Fisheries decision on shrimp quotas; decision will decimate Nunatukavut fishers and communities
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, April 27, 2022 – NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) President Todd Russell today issued the following statement on the recent shrimp quota decision made by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO):
“We are outraged by DFO’s latest shrimp quota decision. It results in continued cuts in Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFA) 5 and 6 off the shores of NunatuKavut and a complete shut-out in SFA 4, which is experiencing a significant increase. As we have said many times, this is just another crippling reduction without any response measures, contributing to the continued decimation of our 2J fishers, processors and communities. DFO Minister Joyce Murray chose to double-down on the unfairness in the fishery and, once again, gave our resources to offshore, non-adjacent interests.
Our people are deeply connected to the sea and the fishery that make up NunatuKavut. NCC’s proposals and approach has always been reasonable and well-supported. We want a fair and principled approach to allocations that recognizes our adjacency, Indigenous rights, cultural attachment and our great economic need. For decades, our participation in the fishery has been consistently marginalized and our fishers have been continually denied access.
I am appalled and sickened by the decisions being made by the Minister of DFO. Her latest series of quota decisions are exclusionary, discriminatory and a slap in the face to their supposed agenda of Indigenous reconciliation. It also infringes upon our Indigenous and Treaty rights.
Let me be clear. We will not be starved out of own fishery in our own waters. NCC will be pursuing the management of our fishery that feeds our families, ensures the livelihood of our fishers and people and sustains our communities.”
Media Contact
Kelly Broomfield
Director of Communications, NCC
T: 709-280-5965
E: communications@nunatukavut.ca