ST. JOHN’S, NL – Crab fishermen and processors have agreed on a price of $4.75 per pound for crab for 2025 season. It came after tense negotiations that included a Supreme Court of Newfoundland filing against Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries minister Gerry Byrne for political interference.
Fishermen were busy preparing crab pots and taking on provisions today with some leaving tonight for the fishing grounds. Even with a good price secure fishermen still face the unknown. Can they get their product to market in the USA before another round of tariffs hit.
Lido Pitcher says the crew on his boat, Pitcher’s Legacy, will spend 4 days putting out and retrieving 400 crap pots in an area between 60 and 80 miles (100 – 120 km) from St John’s. They plan to leave tonight when the wind dies down.
The fisherman’s union, FFAW-Unifor, said it was a significant victory for snow crab harvesters in the province following the recent decision by the pricing panel. It feels the panel has recognized the critical importance of stability in the crab fishery in our province—a cornerstone of our coastal economy.
The crab fishery has been notorious in recent years for its annual battles between the union, the processors and the pricing board always leading to delays in the start of the season.
“The formula set today is historically significant – today’s Panel decision is finally putting a system in place that gives harvesters a sense of fairness and transparency,” said Dwan Street. FFAW-Unifor President. “Our Negotiating Committee’s offer was, fair, reasonable, and very well thought out. It establishes a starting price that carries through the season, followed by a settlement at the end of the season based on market performance,”
This marks the third year of progress toward a more equitable pricing structure for harvesters. Key improvements over last year’s agreement include a starting price aligned with our historic share and a sliding scale for the settlement price that ensures harvesters’ share increases as the market price rises.
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