Snow Crab Processing Halted in Newfoundland and Labrador Amid Price Dispute

Snow crab processing in Newfoundland and Labrador has come to a halt as the province's fishery workers' union and seafood processors remain deadlocked over setting this year’s price. The Fish, Food & Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) confirmed on Wednesday that no crab will be processed until a deal for a “fair” price is reached.

The FFAW said it withdrew from negotiations and declined to submit a proposal to the standing fish price setting panel this week. Talks with processors ended the day before, after the union accused them of offering a price three cents lower than last year’s $5.25 per pound. FFAW-Unifor president Dwan Street stated, “As long as the price remains unacceptably low, there will be no crab processed in Newfoundland and Labrador plants.”

The crab fishery is scheduled to open in most regions on April 5, but the pricing dispute has forced the issue into the hands of the standing fish price setting panel. The panel, which makes binding decisions when parties cannot agree, had its initial Monday meeting postponed for 48 hours following intervention from Premier Tony Wakeham. The union called off a planned protest as a result of the postponement.

The panel is now expected to release its pricing decision by Friday. The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) presented its case to the panel alone, as the FFAW did not participate in the hearing. ASP executive director Lorelei Roberts stated earlier in the week that the union had refused to bargain and had not submitted any counteroffers, despite regular outreach efforts by ASP through the official price bargaining facilitator.

This dispute underscores ongoing tensions over price-setting mechanisms in the province’s vital seafood industry. The FFAW has called for a return to traditional negotiations rather than binding arbitration. As of Wednesday evening, no agreement had been reached and the outcome remains pending the panel’s decision.