FEDERAL BUDGET SLASHES CANADA'S SOCIAL FABRIC
UFAWU second vice-president Jim Sinclair writes that the Liberal government's federal budget will cut $7 billion from medicare, education and welfare, will cut unemployment insurance by 10 percent and reduce pensions to seniors.
COMMERCIAL LICENCE FEES SLATED FOR MAJOR CHANGE
In a move to cost recovery, DFO is proposing major changes to commercial licensing fees. The UFAWU is saying if there are to be any changes, they should be based on catch, as recommended in the Cruickshank Report.
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WASHINGTON STATE VOTE COULD DESTROY FISHING
Commercial fishermen in Washington have found an allies in the environmental movement against a proposed initiative in Washington State's fall elections which could ban commercial fishing.
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SALMON FARMS WILL FACE ENVIRONMENTAL SCRUTINY
The impact of salmon farms on B.C. wild salmon stocks will finally undergo a environmental review, something the commercial fishing industry and environmentalists have called for since 1987.
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DFO sets '95 catch forecasts
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has forecast a harvest of nearly eight million Fraser river sockeye in 1995, but with the Canada - U.S. Treaty still unresolved, how many will go to the Americans is still an open question.
DFO is predicting a return of 10.7 million sockeye to the Fraser this year.
"Given public concern regarding conservation of salmon resources on the Fraser, the department is taking a conservative approach to planning the 1995 fishery," the department announced in a press release.
Under that conservative regime, with a spawning escapement target of 2.9 million fish, that leaves a catch of 7.8 million sockeye in both Canadian and U.S. fisheries this year.
UFAWU Fraser Valley organizer John Sutcliffe said he is con-
see U.S. page 9
The Tfiher man
Vol. 60 No. 4
Vancouver, B.C.
$1
April 24,1995
Sockeye nets 11# more
The sockeye adjustment formula negotiated last summer by the UFAWU and the Fish Processors Bargaining Association has netted seine crew members an additional 11 cents a pound on their 1994 salmon production.
FPBA companies, including B.C. Packers, Canadian Fish, Ocean's and J.S. McMillan, were drawing up cheques last week to cover the payment, the last adjustment under the negotiated formula.
Seafood Products, whose agreement parallels that between the UFAWU and the FPBA, was also issuing cheques based on the agreed adjustment.
UFAWU big boat organizer Bruce Logan said the companies were holding the cheques, waiting for crew members to contact company accountants and make arrangements, either to pick up the cheque in per son or have it sent to a current address. Most companies have already fielded dozens of calls from crew members inquiring about the payment.
"Crew members should get on the phone and call their company if they haven't already," Logan said. "If they don't, they won't get the cheque."
The 11-cent payment is the second of two formula adjustments made to the sockeye price based on the export price of a 48-can case of half pound cans of sockeye. The first payment, also 11 cents, was made last December.
Last year, the export price had see PRICE page 8
CLEANING UP A MARSH
GILLNETTER ED GOTO working on the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation marsh clean up on Annacis Island. Goto reports after only a few weeks of work, the marsh plants are recovering, (story, page 7)
UFAWU welcomes forest regs
Fishing industry workers got some good news from Victoria April 12 as the B.C. Forest Ministry proclaimed its Forestry Practices Code regulations which will greatly expand the "riparian zone" protected area around watersheds and fish-bearing streams.
And UFAWU members can take some credit for those new provisions.
Forests Minister Andrew Petter, Environment Minister Moe Sihota and Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Anne Edwards were all on hand at the Vancouver press conference called to announce the new regulations which will go into effect June 15 after a 60-day review period.
"This is an historic moment," said Forest Minister Anbdrew Petter. "These new regulations will create jobs ... and will provide a certification of good environmental standards at home and abroad."
The new Code and regulations cover a wide range of forest practices, from road-building to soil conservation, and were worked out after nearly two years of consultations with the industry, resource unions and environmental groups.
Clearcutting will now be limited in sensitive areas and protection will be provided for wildlife and fish habitat.
A key proposal, headlined by Sihota during the press conference, will establish a "riparian management
area" alongside fish-bearing streams that will range in width up to 70 metres, depending on the size of the stream. For larger streams, the-ripar-ian area includes both a reserve strip see UFAWU page 3
Licence leases are taking all but the work out of herring
Even though the herring catches came in close to the quota this year, there has been very little celebrating as inflated licence prices ate up much of the money that could have been made.
"The quota was down and the price was up a bit," herring gillnet-ter Mark Warrior said. "But for a lot of crews, the way they were treated was disgusting. One guy I heard about went out for 30 days and got $500."
Warrior said he knew crewmen who caught 40 tonnes, and owed
money because they were charged the full cost of the licences. The cost of gillnet licences charged to crews was in the $20,000 range.
"Those few of us who are left who get paid a fair share by anything resembling a union agreement are really lucky," he said.
This year's roe-herring catch came to 27,256 tonnes, 804 tonnes over the target catch of 26,452 tonnes.
Grounds prices for gillnet herring were reported to be as high at $2,700
see LICENCE page 12