I was a kid when the moratorium started. As a union leader, I'm still fighting for change

This column is an opinion by Keith Sullivan, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

Three decades have come and gone since the cod moratorium in Newfoundland and Labrador was announced on that fateful day in 1992.

I was just 12 years old growing up in Calvert at the time, and the cod fishery was the heart and soul of the Southern Shore from Trepassey to Bay Bulls, just like the communities so many of you called home.

My family remained in the fishery after the moratorium, but many others did not. More than 30,000 people lost their livelihoods that day and the landscape of our province was forever changed.

It was not an easy road for those who made the commitment to remain in the industry. Eventually the FFAW was able to win access to snow crab and northern shrimp for harvesters displaced through the northern cod closure.

These fisheries, as well as fisheries such as Atlantic halibut and lobster, have allowed the inshore fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador to diversify and modernize — focusing on higher value products that are world renowned for quality. Long gone are the days of frozen cod blocks.

This diversification and focus on value have resulted in higher incomes, pulling fish harvesters out of poverty and into the upper-middle class.

As we entered the year 2020, prices were on a continued upward trend and the outlook for the season was exceptional. But as we all know, nothing went quite as planned in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the entire global commerce system and the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador was no exception. When the world was shut down, the market for high-value seafood products became uncertain.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) and their member companies are in a desperate bid to drive workers backwards. At every turn, ASP has attempted to erode harvesters' shares in the market and pit union member against union member. At negotiations this spring they presented insulting price offers well below what the market indicates is fair, and they sow seeds of mistrust on the shop floor.

At a time when we should be looking for ways to revitalize jobs and the middle class, our government is failing to protect workers from these injustices. Companies are trying to push us back to the days of the merchants and our elected MHAs and MPs are sitting idly by while it happens.

The lack of capacity to handle current quotas is costing both harvesters and plant workers. Processing companies are refusing to purchase shrimp and sea cucumber from inshore harvesters which is impacting thousands of plant workers in the province in addition to the harvesters that rely on these fisheries. Provincial Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg and Environment and Climate Change Minister Bernard Davis continue to protect companies and promote secrecy surrounding processing production and sales information in Newfoundland and Labrador, leaving harvesters with no avenue to sell their catch.

The provincial government's refusal to take meaningful steps toward addressing any concerns plaguing the inshore fishery is hurting the economic prosperity of harvesters, plant workers and coastal communities. It is a privileged position to hold a processing licence in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is abundantly clear that something must be done by our government if these companies are refusing to operate while a fishery remains open.

Meanwhile, on the federal level, fish harvesters continue to be treated with disdain by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. As we know, DFO Science and fish harvesters don't always agree.