Friday, February 29, 2008

Voices from the changing nature of the fishing industry


CBC’s Daybreak North examined the state of the fishery on the north coast this week, by talking with those that have lived their lives on the waters.

Daybreak's Carolina de Ryk, stopped in at Pacific Net and Twine where fish stories have been traded in for stories of frustration and laments for a way of life that seems to be passing the North coast by now.

Pacific Net and Twine seems to be the place where the rumours get tossed around, what DFO has planned, why the stocks are so perilously low at times and how the corporate fishing industry has squeezed out the small fishermen.

It makes for some interesting listening as a number of current and former fishermen recount the downward spiral of the industry and how it’s changing the nature of Prince Rupert and the people that work or once worked in the industry.

From the large number of canneries that no longer exist to seasons that once extended into November and now may only provide a few weeks of employment, the reports are an interesting trip through a once vital industry that is just barely hanging on now.

The worrisome item for fishermen this season is the concern that the fishing season will consist of less than seven days of fishing, a rumour that has many that gather at Pacific Net and Twine wondering about what may lay ahead.

Monday’s sessions at Pacific Net and Twine can be heard here, while Tuesday’s follow up session can be found here.

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