Leonard LeBlanc, president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition, which represents 134 fishers in the region, sat down with CHNE to talk about the issues facing the fishing sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This past week, several Chéticamp residents expressed their concern after seeing New Brunswick fishers moving around town without respecting quarantine. They felt that without proper isolation, fishers posed a risk of spread of the virus in the community.

On March 22nd, the Nova Scotia government announced a state of emergency. Among other measures, the government required travellers crossing into the province to self-isolate for 14 days with the exemption of essential workers. When residents complained to the local RCMP about out-of-province fishers, they found that they were allowed to avoid quarantine, since fishers were considered essential workers.

Leonard LeBlanc said that even the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition was surprised to see them, since no government official had consulted with the association. LeBlanc said that had he been asked, he would have opposed the decision, and that he’s in talks with the province to have the exemption revoked.

“What makes a fisherman so special that when he comes to Chéticamp, he ties up and he can go anywhere in the village and refrain from the possibility of carrying the virus?” he said, “It’s pitiful that the government has put us in Chéticamp in that position. They should have talked with us before and not have the community have to talk to fishermen when they come here. … The fishermen should isolate, and if they don’t want to isolate, the RCMP should simply send them home.”

In fact, the association has been pushing for governments not to recognize fishers as essential workers at all. Not only are its members worried about the close quarters inside fishing boats, which would make social distancing practically impossible, they’re also worried they won’t be able to sell their product. 

“We have formed a sub-committee,” LeBlanc said, “and have been dialoguing with P.E.I. and New Brunswick to see what possible package we can put together that would fit within the programs that the federal and provincial governments have now, and see if there is an option other than fishing because we don’t see fishing as being viable. Buyers … don’t know how much they’re going to pay, they don’t know how much they’re going to take, and they don’t even think they’re going to buy for the entire season.”

Another link in the chain, the local seafood processing plant, is facing challenges of its own. Managers have been debating whether to hire foreign workers during the pandemic. The small local workforce wouldn’t be able to fill all the jobs required to keep the plant running. “[The plant] can only process between a 30 and 50% capacity of what [it] did last year,” said LeBlanc. A diminished processing capacity would mean that much of the product wouldn’t make it to market.

The Coalition will be sending its members a survey to see if they approve of a proposal to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that would keep them home this fishing season. Results should be ready next week.