So the talk amongst many is the announced closure [non opening] of the fish plants in Nain and Postville for this fishing season. Torngat Fish Producers said that any plans for the future years of these two plants has not been discussed but for this year TFP can not afford to operate them.
Postville plant is a small one, it acted as a holding unit to feed the larger Makkovik plant plus it processed rock cod.
The Nain plant employed up to 72 people last year, including fishers, it had in the past employed 180 on two shifts.
It is going to be a very different feel to the dock area come summer, the plant here has played a major role in the community going back many decades.
The writing was on the wall for some time, the failure to find other species to process, plus not developing secondary processing looked to me like an inevitable closure, but it still hurts when it comes.
Scallop and arctic char is a very competitive area with farmed and overseas char and scallops from producers closer to the market being just a couple of the factors I would think.
So we have heard from the Province and NG representatives this morning. The province is looking at the possibility of some sort of help for the fishers affected, NG has not started to talk about it as yet [well knock me over with a feather] but the fisheries minister for NG did mention that he has concern for his constituents in Nain [now that is a change of tone]. The NG Executive council will discuss the issue at their next meeting.
There have been ongoing talks [see third story down] for some time as to the future of the fishery on the coast of Labrador, apparently nothing has come of these talks to date.
I don’t know, but if governments are going to put any dollars in would it not make more sense for it to go towards keeping the plant open to employ people gainfully than to offer hand outs individually. Keeping in mind the plants were run on an effective basis that is. Sounds like an oxymoron I know, but what makes sense these days any way.
Some more bad news for Nain is that the school is reported to be losing 8.5 teaching positions.
The NLG has announced a large province wide cut back in reaching positions, only the minister of education has said anything publicly, no one to my knowledge has talked about the effects on JHMS.
It seems strange for sure as we have been hearing for years how the population growths are in Labrador coastal communities. But I hear it may have something to do with the large drop out rate with youth over 16.
Pity there is no information and any debate, why we might find out something might n we.
3 comments:
Keith Watts says there is no market for the product the Nain fish plant produces. I was on the phone with a fish plant in Nova Scotia that has an extensive distribution network in the states, and they were interested in all the scallops and char they could get from nain F.O.B. Lewisporte. I didn't get all the details but it sounded as if he had orders to fill and needed product. I passed on their contact information to the appropriate officials and as far as I know, no one has made the call.
There is a train of thought that thinks TFCO are lacking in marketing and promotion initiatives.
Having said that, maybe the shipping costs outweigh the sale price offered.
Having said that, it is hard to imagine that there is no market for fresh and smoked char anywhere. How about regional for both and to the north for smoked.
It is also possible that TFC and others have not put a lot of importance in sustaining the Nain plant. One reason for the indifference maybe the lack of a strong lobby voice from Nain.
Here we are August 2nd 2008; I am warming/cooking a slab of Nain smoked arctic char; looking for serving suggestions and found your blog. I worked in Labrador many years, and lived in Nain for a few.
Closing the fish plant in Nain? All about the politics, not about the economics. For this season I ordered 100 lbs of smoked char for pick up in Nain; a friend ordered more; price not really a consideration. There is an economic market for the product.
Lots of char in Nain, fish plant in Nain, LIDC has Nain workers out on the fish boats, there is a huge demand for and general shortage of char, aka all things are good for the people - so why shut the operation?
I am cynical about the NG and distrust their motives. Like in "Animal Farm", some have become more equal than others.
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