THE FISHERMAN, AUGUST 19, 1996 KB
BUREAUCRAT BACKPEDAL: Anybody who knows Sointula fisherman Bruce Burrows knows he doesn't go down easily. So when the folks at Human Resources Development Canada decided to read the rule book punitively and penalize him for collecting a pogey cheque while he was on the delegation lobbying MPs against the Mifflin Plan, he vowed he'd go to jail rather than pay back any money. "I was in Ottawa trying to save my own job and hundreds of others in the industry," he said. Stories in the local media echoed his outrage.
What made it worse was that the HRDC bureaucrats not only wanted him to repay the week's UI he'd collected while in Ottawa—they also wanted to hit him with an additional penalty of $448 for failing to report that he had not been available for work that week. AJuly 8 letter from one K Johnson, an insurance agent for HRDC, even warned that heavier penalties and even prosecution could result if he repeated his transgressions.
Well, now "they're doing a little back-pedalling," says Burrows, who notes that shortly after the news reports, he got a call from a woman at HRDC who told him that she was calling him on instructions from an unnamed superior. She asked if he had been in touch
was indeed in touch; with people and adcjpd that there "are several flights a day from Ottawa to B.C." Based on that information^ the woman reported that the case would probably be dropped.
So far, however, all that Burrows has in writing is a July 26 letter from another agent, C. Knupp, July 26 that states: "I am pleased to inform you that we have cancelled the penalty imposed on July 8." That still leaves outstanding the issue of Burrows' repaying the benefits he received while in Ottawa button-holing MPs. "But apparently there is another letter in the mail I haven't received yet that says I won't have to repay the benefits," he says. Even if the whole thing is withdrawn, Burrows still wants a apology from the department for the hassle they put him through. We wouldn't advise he hold his breath on that one.
CAREER MOVE: Want to spend three weeks in sunny Nicaragua, passing on the knowledge and skills you've gathered over the years? Here's your chance.
The Nicaraguan Boat Committee will provide the airfare, hotel and food. All you have to do is provide the commitment and the expertise. The committee is looking for a volunteer to train
Nicaraguan fishermen operating the vessel
Solidarity in fishing techniques as well as boat maintenance and repair.
If you're interested, call JiqijSinclair or Brujce Logan at 255-1336 by Sept. 15.
BRUCE BURROWS (r) ... HRDC apparently changed its mind about slapping him with a penalty for joining this delegation.
BCSMC's G Delgado at
with someone in B.C. while he was in Ottawa and whether he could have returned home quickly if there had been a job opportunity. He replied that he
HARD SELL: Seen all those full-page advertisements inserted by the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association
(BCSFA)? They come with a
five-figure price tag in the dailies, an indication of how urgently the salmon farmers want to get their views across at a. time when there's a lot of public attention on fish and fishing communities.
It's so important, it seems, that the BCSFA pulled its entire $340,000 out of the generic marketing program it was cost-sharing with the Chileans and other farmed salmon producers. Put together under the banner of Salmon Marketers International, the program had been successful at marketing farmed salmon in upscale U.S. markets and the pull-out was apparently a bit of a shock to the marketing campaign promoters.
But as BCSFA executive director put it, "The prospect of an industry facing an environmental assessment, coupled with the recent election results, has provided us with no alternative but to reallocate our resources in securing the future of our industry in British Columbia." Clearly, the association would have been happier with the election of the Liberals—who didn't have a problem with rapid expansion of the farmed salmon industry—but with the NDP back in office, salmon farmers have decided to put on some heavy-duty lobbying instead.
All of which raises the stakes considerably in the environmental review of aquaculture initiated by the B.C. Ministry of the Environment and now getting underway after several months' delay. Undoubtedly, the BCSFA would like to see the environmental concerns put aside to allow salmon farmers—whose ranks include some big corporate players—to expand production. But there are some serious issues that have to be addressed and a lot of people are counting on the review to dig in to those issues thoroughly.
DUCKS, EH? With all you have to do to make a living in fishing these days, you'd think UFAWU member Terry Lubzinski would be busy enough, especially since he's also a member of the Fraser River Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission which has been meeting itself coming and going the past several days.
last month and crews were working hard this month to complete the wiring for the interactive video display that will be a centrepiece of the exhibit. Fishing for a Living is located among other maritime industry exhibits in the museum but it's likely to be a centre of attention because of the interactive video as well as the pre-programmed sounder and other hands-on equipment
ina Johnason (I) with Maritime Museum director Jim Fishing for a Living exhibit site.
But Lubzinski just got elected as B.C. provincial chair of Ducks Unlimited Canada. He was also appointed to the national board of directors of the organization which raises about $2 million in this province and spends roughly double that amount in preserving waterfowl habitat.
ON DISPLAY: Speaking of Terry Lubzinski, his gillnetter Flying High will one of three boats gracing the wall of the new Fishing for a Living exhibit at Vancouver's Maritime Museum. The display opens officially to the public Aug. 22.
The huge photo murals, showing each of the three gear types, were installed on the wall
that's available. It's all intended to show commercial fishing as a working industry, particularly for the 60,000 school children that go through the Museum each year.
Working fishermen are also being encouraged to be on hand at the display, especially during special events at the museum. Later this year, a restored BCP 45, the seiner that was formerly featured on five-dollar bills, will be tied up as a permanent exhibit (see story page 9) at the floats outside the museum site, which is located just west of Vancouver's Vanier Park.
Fishing for a Living was conceived by the B.C. Salmon Marketing Council and funded by industry donations organized in turn by the Council's Gina Johansen.
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