EvanL
04-27-2005, 06:14 PM
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 Updated at 2:14 PM EST
Canadian Press
St. John's — Newfoundland fishermen blockading St. John's harbour over a new crab quota system decided Wednesday to expand their protest by surrounding a Portuguese vessel cited for overfishing.
The protesters likened their latest action to a “citizen's arrest.”
The Aveirense has been cited on more than one occasion for fishing violations on the Grand Banks, just outside Canada's 200-nautical-mile limit.
It was one of two Portuguese trawlers issued citations during a high-profile crackdown on foreign overfishing off the East Coast last year. The vessel received two citations when the crackdown began last May.
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Most recently, the ship was boarded Nov. 18 and issued a citation for using nets with smaller mesh than legally allowed.
The ship was surrounded when it docked at a refuelling wharf.
The protesting fishermen said they want to make a point about foreign overfishing on the eve of an international fishing conference in St. John's, which starts this weekend.
Portugal was the worst offender on the Grand Banks last year. Its fleet was cited five times for fishing violations.
Meanwhile, the blockade over crab quotas entered its third day with one offshore supply vessel stuck outside the harbour as fishing vessels circled the narrow entry to the port city.
RCMP kept an eye on the standoff from a helicopter.
Several vessels have cancelled stops in St. John's to avoid the protest.
The St. John's Port Authority was to file papers Wednesday seeking a court injunction against further blockades.
The fishermen also disrupted business on the St. John's waterfront Tuesday night for over six hours, preventing a convoy of trucks from delivering supplies to an offshore supply base.
The situation was defused when the truckers left without making their deliveries.
The fishermen have also been disrupting the business of the Newfoundland legislature, prompting the Speaker of the House of Assembly to take the unusual step Tuesday of closing the public gallery indefinitely.
Speaker Harvey Hodder said the gallery will remain closed until he receives assurances there will be no further disruptions.
The crab fishermen are trying to put pressure on the province to drop a pilot regulatory regime for their industry.
Under the new measures, crab prices will be determined by an independent audit firm and the amount of raw material producers can process will be capped.
But fishermen are furious that individual processing plants will be given a set percentage of the catch.
They say it will strip them of their bargaining power.
Bob Fagan, a spokesman for the coast guard, said that agency, the RCMP, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Transport Canada are all reviewing evidence gathered during the blockade of St. John's harbour.
“There is a possibility of laying charges,” Mr. Fagan said.
Crab fishermen have also twice blocked oil tankers in Placentia Bay, disrupting tanker traffic to the Come By Chance oil refinery and nearby Whiffen Head transshipment
Canadian Press
St. John's — Newfoundland fishermen blockading St. John's harbour over a new crab quota system decided Wednesday to expand their protest by surrounding a Portuguese vessel cited for overfishing.
The protesters likened their latest action to a “citizen's arrest.”
The Aveirense has been cited on more than one occasion for fishing violations on the Grand Banks, just outside Canada's 200-nautical-mile limit.
It was one of two Portuguese trawlers issued citations during a high-profile crackdown on foreign overfishing off the East Coast last year. The vessel received two citations when the crackdown began last May.
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Most recently, the ship was boarded Nov. 18 and issued a citation for using nets with smaller mesh than legally allowed.
The ship was surrounded when it docked at a refuelling wharf.
The protesting fishermen said they want to make a point about foreign overfishing on the eve of an international fishing conference in St. John's, which starts this weekend.
Portugal was the worst offender on the Grand Banks last year. Its fleet was cited five times for fishing violations.
Meanwhile, the blockade over crab quotas entered its third day with one offshore supply vessel stuck outside the harbour as fishing vessels circled the narrow entry to the port city.
RCMP kept an eye on the standoff from a helicopter.
Several vessels have cancelled stops in St. John's to avoid the protest.
The St. John's Port Authority was to file papers Wednesday seeking a court injunction against further blockades.
The fishermen also disrupted business on the St. John's waterfront Tuesday night for over six hours, preventing a convoy of trucks from delivering supplies to an offshore supply base.
The situation was defused when the truckers left without making their deliveries.
The fishermen have also been disrupting the business of the Newfoundland legislature, prompting the Speaker of the House of Assembly to take the unusual step Tuesday of closing the public gallery indefinitely.
Speaker Harvey Hodder said the gallery will remain closed until he receives assurances there will be no further disruptions.
The crab fishermen are trying to put pressure on the province to drop a pilot regulatory regime for their industry.
Under the new measures, crab prices will be determined by an independent audit firm and the amount of raw material producers can process will be capped.
But fishermen are furious that individual processing plants will be given a set percentage of the catch.
They say it will strip them of their bargaining power.
Bob Fagan, a spokesman for the coast guard, said that agency, the RCMP, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Transport Canada are all reviewing evidence gathered during the blockade of St. John's harbour.
“There is a possibility of laying charges,” Mr. Fagan said.
Crab fishermen have also twice blocked oil tankers in Placentia Bay, disrupting tanker traffic to the Come By Chance oil refinery and nearby Whiffen Head transshipment