Guysborough County Inshore Fishermens Association
990 Union Street B0H 1H0 Canso, NS, Canada

Applications for the second half of Fish Harvesters benefit will not be uploaded till late spring. We will post when a date is available or when it is up. Thanks ... Ginny See more

***2nd payment of Fish Harvesters Benefit*** Completion of the mandatory second Benefit application in 2021 To get your second Fish Harvester Benefit payment, you must:... re-apply for the benefit between late spring 2021 and October 1, 2021 Applicants who received the first payment of the Fish Harvester Benefit are required to submit a second application in 2021. If you do not re-apply during this period, we will consider your first payment an overpayment and you will need to repay it to the Government of Canada. complete your 2020 taxes as soon as possible You must receive your 2020 Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency prior to reapplying. We use this information to calculate your actual self-employed fishing income losses in 2020. Once we receive your second application, if eligible, you should get your second benefit payment by end of November 2021. The maximum combined benefit amount of the first and second payments is $10,164.

Sarah will be at the office tomorrow morning to assist with EI 9am-12pm

https://www.cbc.ca//how-throwing-big-ones-back-could-keep-

https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca//applicant/page1800

Our office will be closed for the holidays till Monday January 4th. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe, healthy and Prosperous New Year From the staff at GCIFA

REMINDER You must submit your herring mackerel bait logs to receive your bait conditions in 2021.

https://www.cbc.ca//pei-climate-change-lobster-research-1.

Register today for upcoming marine courses at the Strait Area Campus. To register call 902-625-4228 or visit https://www.nscc.ca//marine_traini/marine/registration.asp

Excellent article!

**Notice** Ginny will be working from home at this time, as her husband has returned from work and she has self isolate as well. She can be reached by email [email protected]

Parliament held an Emergency Debate on the fisheries dispute in Atlantic Canada, which is centered in Nova Scotia but impacts fishing communities in all eastern... provinces. I presented my perspective in the House of Commons and offered solutions to bridge the divide. I hope New Brunswick fishing families and other constituents will consider my proposals and leave a comment below or email me: [email protected]

Great article !

Some thoughts on the "moderate-living" Indigenous fishery... I'd be happy to chat directly with anyone that wants to engage in respectful conversation on this r...eally important and complicated issue.... (apologies for the length!). I am very heavy-hearted as I witness from a distance - the stand-off in Saint Mary’s Bay between fishers of the Sipekne'katik band who have band-issued moderate-living lobster licenses, and traditional fishermen from the area (and beyond) who are frustrated with what they consider to be illegal traps that are being fished out of season. I don’t have all the answers and I’m just one flawed person, wanting to understand and act in a way that promotes right relationship in light of historic treaties. First, a few comments for clarification, which will hopefully help avoid needless misunderstanding (although I realize that it’s probably not possible to avoid misunderstanding completely): 1. In this paper I often talk about the stand-off as if there are just two groups or two sides and of course it’s not as simple as that. Within those two groups there are different perspectives and we could also see Government officials as another group, the media as a group, and the general public as a group. There are multiple groups and multiple perspectives but I’m starting with the conflict on the water between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers and then seeing other groups and perspectives in relation to that; 2. You will notice that I often use the term traditional fishermen or traditional fishers when speaking about non-Indigenous fishers. The media and government have largely stopped using the term traditional fishers in favour of the term commercial fishers. I find this interesting. It’s a subtle shift in language but it may have the effect of creating (or reinforcing) a bias within the general public against traditional fishers on this stage. In my view, the non-Indigenous fishers are traditional fishers who are fishing commercial, DFO issued licenses, not to be confused with corporate participants in the fishery. 3. There are lots of things that I don’t know about this issue. As you will quickly see, my bread and butter come from my family’s involvement in fishing. I want to declare my bias. I’ve been motivated to write this because I think most people can’t possibly know many relevant details and I think opinions should be formed and adapted based on knowledge of relevant details. I’m not trying to win an argument here, but rather my aim is to help us gain understanding of a very complex issue so that our opinions are informed and rooted in the best information we can get. We all have lots to learn. I have never liked conflict and this situation is volatile with rumours of violence on both sides. The stand-off brings my own values and allegiances into tension. I’ve been a voice within the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC) for the elimination of racism (serving 10 years on the Racism Working Group) and for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada (as part of the Indigenous Relations Working Group). My sincere desire is to live up to the words of Indigenous mentors who speak of walking in a good way, with a good mind and a good heart. I am the Director of International Studies at St. Stephen’s University (in St. Stephen, NB) where I facilitate and teach courses aimed at helping students understand Indigenous history and culture with the hopes that this will inspire them to work toward peace and reconciliation. SSU has benefited greatly from a variety of Indigenous elders and leaders who have generously invested in our educational efforts around these issues. I consider Chief Hugh Akagi of the Peskotomuhkati Nation a personal friend. I recently ran as a candidate for the Green Party in New Brunswick, for the riding of Fundy, the Isles, Saint John West; the Green Party has always recognized and promoted Indigenous treaty rights in the province. As many of you also know, I live on Deer Island, a fishing community in Southwestern New Brunswick. My husband’s roots in this territory (the traditional territory of the Peskotomuhkati) go back to the late 1700s. His ancestors settled in the Quoddy Region and made their living fishing and farming initially for subsistence. My husband grew up fishing with his grandfather and father. When our son was in grade 6 and 7, he homeschooled so that he could go lobster fishing in the spring with his father and grandfather (who had planned to retire at 77 but stayed on for those 2 years to enjoy having three generations on the boat together). Our son is now 30 and last year went out on his own, buying a lobster and scallop license and his own boat (I’ll talk more about that later). Our son-in-law fishes with us and we have four grandchildren all living within 2 kilometers of our home on Deer Island - who we hope will also have an opportunity to fish. We feel incredibly fortunate, and we recognize that this is a way of life that isn’t available to everyone, nor, honestly, wanted by everyone. Fishing is hard work and not something most people can do, especially if they don’t love it. Fishing is in the blood of fishermen. My husband is more at home on the water than he is on land or in our home. We’re grateful for the persistence and commitment of previous generations to build and sustain the foundation on which our way of life depends. We’re grateful, but also feel the generational weight of the expectation that we will pass on this way of life to subsequent generations that is, that the cycle will not be broken. We are very conscious of the fact that we answer to generations before and after us. That means we must constantly advocate for a sustainable fishery. Much has changed in the fishery in our area over the generations. Even in the 35 years that I have lived on Deer Island, there have been many changes. The title of my PhD thesis was Making it Pay: The Organization and Operation of the Deer Island Weir Fishery. I argued that Deer Island Fishermen had maintained their identity as independent commodity producers. I suggested that Deer Island fishermen had survived the vagaries of nature and of government policies and were able to preserve their unique way of life because they had maintained a multi-species fishery and because they were stubborn and fiercely independent. At that time, most fishermen fished and lived within their means, not taking prosperity for granted but saving in good years to help them through the bad. And there were bad years. Not everyone was able to stay in the fishery and periodically there would be an exodus from the island of those who could no longer make it pay. The last great exodus was in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When I first came to Deer Island in 1982, herring was the mainstay of the fishing economy and was supplemented by the lobster and scallop fisheries. Today, the lobster fishery probably accounts for about 85% of fishing income for Deer Island fishermen, and herring accounts for very little. The scallop fishery continues to play an important role in the overall stability of the fishery in our area, though it has never been the mainstay. It’s hard to briefly but adequately explain the changes in the lobster fishery over the last 25-30 years. Scientists and governments had warned of an imminent collapse in lobster stocks in Atlantic Canada in the early 1990s because the spawning stock was, according to their studies, dangerously low. But much to everyone’s surprise, catches skyrocketed in the mid to late 1990s and only now are beginning to show signs of decline all along the shores of eastern North America. The following graph gives a general idea of the changes in landings and value for Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 27-38 (the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia/Cape Breton). (see the graph at the end of the post) This past spring, during COVID-19, both landings and value dropped as much as 30-50% (varying by district). We can understand the drop in value since Asian and European markets went soft, but the drop in landings is even more worrisome. It’s important to understand this context in order to begin to appreciate the way traditional fishermen have reacted to the situation with the Sipekne'katik band. But as both sides say, their battle is not with each other but with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). And this is certainly not the first fight traditional fishermen have had with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO); nor is it the first fight Indigenous bands have had. In the last 35 years, traditional fishermen in our area have battled DFO on issues around aquaculture, a proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, a proposed Marine Park, the government’s approach to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), tidal power, protocols for protecting right whales, scallop quotas (resisting Individual Transferable Quotas ITQs), protecting lobster nursery grounds from fish/scallop dragging, enforcing owner-operator regulations/legislation, lobster season changes, illegal summer lobster fishing, the Energy East pipeline, etc. etc. Each of these battles has been intense and prolonged and many of them are ongoing. Occasionally fishermen are united on these issues in their opposition and occasionally they are on opposite sides of the table. But always they are fighting for access within a sustainability framework as everyone recognizes that the sustainability of fishing as a way of life and of fishing communities generally, hinges on sustainable fishing practices on the water. It’s all about making a living now and passing their families’ fishing heritage on to the next generation. And it’s worth noting also that in my experience, traditional fishermen have not objected to the Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) Fisheries or the inclusion of Indigenous Fishers in the commercial fishery, so long as conservation is at the heart of management policies and practice. Since DFO has a mandate to manage the fisheries for sustainability, employing what they term a precautionary approach, fishermen expect DFO to do their job, by enforcing their own regulations. But I’m getting ahead of myself Fishing has always been an uncertain way of life. In my thesis I looked in detail at the boom and bust nature of individual fisheries. At the moment it is tempting to conclude that traditional fishermen with their bigger boats and (often) expensive trucks, are wealthy and greedy and just protecting their share of an enormous pie. And the fact is that fishing in Atlantic Canada has been the economic backbone of thousands of small fishing communities along our many miles of coast. We think of these fisheries as being the domain of individual fishermen who have secured the legal right to fish by acquiring the necessary licenses and then fishing according to the (many and detailed) conditions of the license. And that is true, but it should also be recognized that every boat in the traditional fleet is supporting the livelihoods of multiple family units (through the captain and crew often a minimum of 3 men and women per boat to up to 6 or 7 at times). On our boat, The Groundskeeper, for example, there is my husband and son-in-law, another person who fishes on a share and 1-3 more men and/or women who join the crew for a daily wage as needed. All of these incomes get dispersed throughout our communities. A good season supports the whole community and a poor season affects everyone in the community. I mention this because sometimes we think of Indigenous licenses as communal licenses which are intended to benefit the whole community, while we think of the traditional (commercial) licenses as being for individual benefit. But that’s not really the way it works. In any event, the relative prosperity that individuals and communities in the non-Indigenous fisheries seem to be enjoying now is, at least for older fishermen, something new and not to be taken for granted. I worry that younger fishermen, who got into the fishery during the last 10-15 years, have not yet seen the bust side of the cycle. Of particular concern is the fact that the cost of lobster licenses and boats to fish them from, have sky-rocketed. Until the mid to late 1960s, anyone could go to the local Fisheries Office and get a lobster license by simply paying a very modest fee (ranging from $0.50 to $5 a year). That was when governments assumed that the resources of the sea were inexhaustible. By the late 1960s, fisheries in Canada became limited entry, meaning that no new licenses would be issued. The value of a lobster license increased according to the principle of supply and demand. In 1976 my husband bought a license for $500. In 1996, licenses in our area were going for about $17,000. Last year (2019), our son bought his lobster license the piece of paper that gives him the privilege to fish lobsters according to the conditions imposed by DFO - for well over half a million dollars, and incidentally, became the first fisherman in our family line to borrow money to buy a license. He also had to buy a boat and all of his own gear (traps, buoys, rope, winches, scallop drags, etc). It cost him roughly $1.6 million in total to go fishing. Based on the strength of the lobster fishery, the bank was happy to approve the loan. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a risky business. He’s smart and hardworking, but perhaps you can imagine some of the pressure he’s feeling and how vulnerable he is to government action or inaction that might compromise or threaten the conservation imperative upon which the future of the fishery (and all fisheries livelihoods) depends. [And I must say, as an aside, that I’ve been very proud of his online engagement on this issue which has resulted in passionate but respectful dialogue with people who really want to understand both sides.] Here is where it gets even more complex and difficult for the average Canadian bystander to understand the finer points of this whole situation. If you’re relying on mainstream media sources, you might believe that nothing has happened to implement the Marshall decision since 1999. You might not know that the government has issued Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) licenses to bands and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars (about $545 million according to this report - https://macdonaldlaurier.ca//20191015_Marshall_Decision_20 page. 15) getting Indigenous communities into the commercial fishery. That said, there have been many problems with the (perhaps) well-intentioned approach of government thus far to implement the Marshall decision. Consider this article from CBC from almost 3 years ago, which one might have thought came out yesterday same band, same issue, same frustration - https://www.cbc.ca//commercial-fishing-licences-fail-benef. No wonder Indigenous fishermen are frustrated with government and with an approach (despite the money invested) that has failed to provide moderate livelihoods. We need to understand WHY these approaches haven’t worked (or at least haven’t worked as expected) and the answers to those questions will likely take us deep into a rabbit hole that I won’t presume to know the bearings of. Fishermen and some Indigenous peoples have witnessed the misuse of FSC licenses (in that lobsters caught in these FSC traps have been sold, which is a direct violation of the conditions of the licenses), the failure of the strategy to involve Indigenous communities in the commercial fishery (with bands owning licenses but maybe leasing them to the highest bidder often non-Indigenous captains and crews - thus depriving band members from participation and the respect they would have from fully participating in the commercial fishery as just ONE of the many problems with the Indigenous commercial fishing strategy). Had these approaches FSC and commercial licenses worked as intended the Marshall requirement for a moderate living fishery might have been met. But it has not been. And thus, the frustration on the part of Indigenous fishers, and, more indirectly, non-Indigenous fishers. Before I go any further, I want to say that I don’t support violence against people or property on either side. I don’t support ramming of boats or firing rubber bullets or flairs (with the intent to injure or intimidate). The cutting of traps is a bit more complicated. Fishing out of season is an issue in many communities (and not just by Indigenous fishers). In the absence of what they consider legitimate enforcement by DFO officials, fishers use cutting of traps and making them unfishable (by cutting the heads out and bending back the doors so as not to trap lobsters in ghost gear) as a way to demonstrate to rogue fishers that they are out of line. This is a practice that goes back for generations. Further, I understand why the Sipekne'katik band AND traditional fishers have felt that taking matters into their own hands (by fishing band-issued licenses or by interfering with traps) is the only way to get the government to act. I would love to be pushing for everyone to STAND DOWN, but the unfortunate reality is that if everyone does stand down, the government will likely slow down or stall the pace of deliberation and action. And nothing will have changed. I would love to live in a world where everyone tells the truth and acts with integrity. I would love to believe that we all recognize the folly of rapacious exploitation of natural resources. I would love to believe that our governments and all Canadians sincerely want to honour the various Peace and Friendship treaties made with Indigenous peoples. I would love to see a clear path forward that results in peaceful and respectful sharing of the lands and waters and all individuals living in right relationship with one another, the Creator, all living things, and themselves. None of this is fully true but I believe that these ideals are worth working toward. Living in right relationship is hard work. It can’t just be words on a page, apologies offered in public spaces, land acknowledgments as part of the preamble to public events. Reconciliation must begin with humility and with truth-telling. It requires us to have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to understand. My reason for writing this article is to urge you whoever you are and however you might be related to this particular issue to recognize how incredibly complex this issue is (even once we agree that treaty rights MUST be respected) and still want to work toward a just and peaceful resolution. It is easy (though painful) for us to look back at historical events arising out of the application of the Indian Act and be outraged by the effects these have had (and continue to have) on Indigenous peoples across this land. It is perhaps also easy to let that outrage predispose us to want to side with Indigenous peoples when we perceive that their struggles are real and wrong. We are motivated to make up for the wrongs of the past; we want to be on the right side of history this time around. Of course we do! I want to continue to be an advocate for, and practitioner of, Indigenous reconciliation. But what does that look like for this particular issue (or any issue)? How can we be sure that our good intentions today don’t result in embarrassment and another round of apologies (perhaps next time to traditional fishermen) in the future? I continue to wrestle with all of this in my own heart and mind. I have many questions about the Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fishery like how many traps are permitted, by whom are they fished, and how are they regulated by DFO or the band. I have many questions about the way DFO brought Indigenous bands into the commercial fishery and questions about how Chiefs and Councils have used those licenses to generate and disperse revenue for their bands (this very recent CBC article summarizes some of the figures for the Indigenous commercial fishery but doesn’t get at how the agreements are made between DFO and individual bands, for example - https://www.cbc.ca//maritime-first-nations-hold-commercial). I have questions about DFO and the role of the Minister of Fisheries in creating conditions like the standoff in Saint Mary’s Bay. I have so many questions! And in the midst of my questioning, I’m appalled by the blatant racism and hatred and ignorance that I read on social media, from individuals on both sides of the issue. Fishermen and Indigenous peoples actually have much in common. Before settlers came, Indigenous peoples had and defended their territories. This is the same impulse that motivates the actions of non-Indigenous fishers today. They are defending their territory. They are fighting for their culture and for their families and communities and the battle is not against Indigenous peoples (but, as said earlier, against the federal government’s failure to act in support of their own conservation regulations). Indigenous peoples have all but lost their cultures and way of life at the hands of the same government that now sets the rules and vision for how non-Indigenous fishers live and work. I just need to add a word about conservation because I have often heard it said that the lobsters being caught with the band-issued licenses are such a small fraction of the total lobster catch that it is surely insignificant. A healthy lobster stock requires protection of breeding grounds. Lobsters breed according to water temperatures in naturally protected inshore areas. Lobster seasons, especially in the Bay of Fundy, are established to ensure that breeding is not disturbed and that the quality of live lobsters on the market are good (which generally excludes soft shell lobsters which tend to be processed rather than sold live). The main concern of the traditional fishers is that the band-issued licenses in Saint Mary’s Bay will result in a drastic reduction in the broodstock. And as the moderate-living fishery spreads across all 41 lobster districts in Atlantic Canada, what impact will that have on the sustainability of the lobster fishery? At issue, as I understand it from the perspective of traditional lobster fishers, is not the moderate livelihood fishery, but the fact that it is happening outside of seasons which are set according to conservation principles to protect the stock. Can anything good come from the current stand-off? In my Education for Reconciliation class at St. Stephen’s University, we watched a short documentary put out by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) called Reserve 107, about the relationship between the Young Chippewayan Band, Mennonites and Lutherans as they have worked together to resolve a land claim in Laird, Saskatchewan. Perhaps it is a model that could work elsewhere, or perhaps it’s not. But at least the principles seem important it’s a story of building trust, based in relationship. You can watch this 30 minute documentary here: https://www.reserve107thefilm.com/. What can we do? Here are some suggestions: 1. Talk to people who have different perspectives and learn from them ideally people who have direct experience with the issue at hand. Recognize that these issues affect some people much more directly than others and it’s worth taking the time to hear their stories; 2. As you have opportunity, be a peacemaker and bridgebuilder it is true that we are all treaty people (treaties were made on our behalf) and if we are to create a different future, we need to understand and respect the intentions of those who signed the treaties and do our best to honour them; 3. Do some research make a list of questions and then seek out answers. And be prepared to have your stereotypes challenged. Single story narratives are part of the problem so be ready for more nuanced narratives (and watch this excellent TED talk on The Danger of a Single Story - https://www.ted.com//chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_o). We lament the numerous deep and deepening divisions we see in our society; the world seems to be more and more fragmented as people choose sides on complex issues. We then have a tendency to start defending our side and attacking those on the opposing side. As people stop listening and learning and settle into more and more entrenched positions, the chance for respectful dialogue and peaceful resolution gets more and more difficult. As we determine to speak truthfully, with compassion and care and respect, perhaps we can play a small part in creating space for real dialogue; 4. For a better understanding of how Canada’s fisheries are managed and how DFO has attempted to incorporate Indigenous bands into the fisheries following the Marshall decision in 1999, check out some of the following links: a.https://macdonaldlaurier.ca//20191015_Marshall_Decision_20 b. https://www.canada.ca//setting-a-new-course-for-indigenous c. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca//fisherie/marshall-1999-eng.html d. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca//aborigi/afs/afsoct03ex-eng.html e. https://www.fraserinstitute.org//costs-of-canadian-governm. 5. If you are a person of faith who believes in prayer, PRAY! There is a lot at stake here, and not just for the people directly impacted by the stand-off in Saint Mary’s Bay. It can feel overwhelming, but we owe it to future generations (as well as to our ancestors) to do the hard work of walking in a good way with a good mind and a good heart.

There will be someone available for EI Wednesday Dec 9 and Wednesday Dec 16 from 8:30-12pm

***Notice*** Please return your tag issuance form asap to the office to insure tags can be ordered

Have you heard the news? The Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program has been extended to October 19th. Read more here: http://ow.ly/mW4G50BIh6N

https://www.cbc.ca//maritime-first-nations-hold-commercial

Sarah will be available at the office weds December 2 to help with EI applications. 8:30-4:00pm

Congrats to Gage Nickerson (Mike Newell’s grandson) for winning second place in ‘Are you Ready’ safety calendar https://m.youtube.com/watch

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca//conflict-brewing-between-indi

2020 Tuna Tags: just a reminder that, as per Gulf Nova Scotia Commercial Bluefin Tuna Fishery 2020 Conservation Harvesting Plan, the initial 205 tags available must be paid for by October 1, 2020.

Please note if you are encountering problems in NOLS when attempting to pay fees it may be the web browser you are using. I contacted DFO in Ottawa earlier in the week about the issue and was told that I would have to use Microsoft EDGE to complete the transaction.

We are extending the application deadline for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program by two weeks, to October 5th. Fish harvesters can find guidance on the application process here: http://ow.ly/Ijb250BuK1z

NEW -- The deadline to apply for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Programs has been extended to October 5, 2020.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada reminds fishermen who own a commercial license that they have until Monday to submit an application for subsidy or benefit programs related to Covid-19. The fishermen's benefit, which compensates for up to 75% of lost income in 2020 when a decrease of at least 25% is demonstrated by comparing with 2018 or with 2019, is still available to fishermen even if they currently receive employment insurance benefits. The Assistant Deputy Minister of Fisheri...es and Oceans, Sylvie Lapointe, points out that access to the service could be done in two stages for applicants, depending on the ability to provide all the required financial information: For the non-repayable grant of up to $ 10,000, the deadline for applying is the same. It is calculated on the basis of the income and actual losses of fishermen: Neither the benefit program nor the subsidy program is accessible to salaried fishermen's helpers, and fishermen holding commercial licenses must not have received support from the emergency business account. Even if an applicant holds multiple fishing licenses, they can only submit one grant application.

One week left to apply! Applications for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program will close in one week. Self-employed fish harvesters are welcome to apply before Monday, September 21. http://ow.ly/yOJv50BqaNW

For more information and to register for marine training, call 902-626-4229.

https://www.cbc.ca//nova-scot/fishing-video-game-1.5711374

Eugene Oleary, Ginny Boudreau and Sarah Delorey met with Minister Jordan and MP Mike Kelloway on August 30th, 2020. Matters such as illegal fishing, fish harvester benefits and grants, domestic and international markets, the fishery Act, gear markings and new entrant benefits were brought to their attention. Thank you to Mike Kelloway for invite and his work on the Fish harvester benefit and grant

PLEASE NOTE*** GCIFA Office will be closed on Monday September 7th, 2020 for Labour Day.

CADA Bluenose Challenge update. Local businessmen and municipal councillors Fin Armsworthy (l) and Dave Hanhams (r) met with organizers of the CADA Bluenose Ch...allenge, Harold Roberts and Bill MacMillan yesterday to lay out the rules of the challenge. It's simple, most boats wins. Neither councillor has offered to concede at this point. Trophy presentation at Whitehead Sept 9th. Please feel free to share. Follow Lost Shores for updates and exact schedules as they are published. See more

Okay, the challenge is on. Municipal counsellors Fin Armsworthy and Dave Hanhams have accepted the challenge from Canso Area Development Association to see whi...ch community, Canso or Whitehead, can assemble the best Nova Scotia welcome flotilla of local boats for the arrival of the Bluenose II Sept 8th and 9th. May the weather gods be kind. This shot was taken in 2015 as the re-fitted Bluenose II crossed Chedabucto Bay. Please feel free to share. See more

Update!!!! The system for Fish Harvester benefit and grant is running behind. Applications should be ready sometime after 11am

REMINDER that starting tomorrow morning you can apply for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant. Get all your information and paperwork ready to make tomorrow qu...icker, and easier for you. Click on the link below to see what you need to apply http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca//initia/fhgbp-ppsp/index-eng.html

Calling all self-employed fish harvesters! Applications for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program open in just 2 days! To apply: http://ow.ly/VYJy50B4y4y

***Notice*** GCIFA is taking appointments for assistance with applications for Fish Harvester Benefit Program and the Fish Harvester Grant for a fee If you would like an appointment or more info please contact the office at 902 366 2266... DFO and Service Canada are now offering online or telephone applications if you wish to do them yourself

Please note PHONE and INTERNET are now working at GCIFA office however GINNY is not able to recover any voice mail messages that were left recently. Please call her back.

DFO reveals more details about pandemic benefit program for fish Harvesters .The owners of these fishing enterprises can now apply for a grant program announced by DFO to cover costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Crew members are also eligible for a wage subsidy through a Fish Harvester Benefits Fund. Lump-sum benefits will go to fishers, even if they are already collecting Employment Insurance Fish harvesters who are already collecting Employment Insurance benefits ...Continue reading

You can apply for the Fish Harvester Benefit & Grant starting August 24. We’ve been working around the clock to develop an application process that is simple, a...ccessible, and extremely quick. Between now and August 24, we encourage all applicants to find out if they are eligible and prepare their applications. https://www.canada.ca//minister-jordan-announces-the-fish-

Mark your calendars! Applications for the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program open on August 24! Stay tuned to learn more! http://ow.ly/tFtp50ARrwU

Prayer inspired by the Message for Sea Sunday (12 July 2020) of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Sea Sunday is a day set aside to remember and pray in a special way for the people who work at sea, far away from their countries, loved ones and local churches. Sea Sunday is usually celebrated July 12, but due to changes and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are invited this year to offer this prayer at any time. See... the full message on our blog. Holy Virgin Mary, sign of the maternal face of God, with filial confidence we turn to you in the current pandemic. Keep in your Immaculate Heart the seafarers, the fishermen and their families, who with their work are ensuring the human family with food and other basic needs. Sign of the closeness of the Father, support them in their trials and protect them from all dangers: isolation and severe physical and mental stress, long periods spent on board ships, distance from their family, friends and from their own country, fear of contamination, piracy attacks and attempted attacks, armed robberies. Sign of the mercy of the Son, help Stella Maris chaplains and volunteers to listen to the people of the sea, trying to respond to their material and spiritual needs, standing by their side, raising their concerns, upholding their labor rights and preventing discrimination. Sign of the fruitfulness of the Spirit and advocate of seafarers, bring unscrupulous ship-owners, crewing agencies and managers back to the way of justice who, using the excuse of the pandemic, dismiss their obligations towards seafarers. Let us stand in solidarity with those who have lost their income. Sign of consolation and sure hope, tenderly embraces coronavirus victims, especially the seafarers who committed suicide. Star of the Sea, pray for us. Amen!

Reminder to our members in LFA 31A! YOU MUST SUBMIT LOG SHEETS FOR JULY AS YOUR SEASON WAS OPEN JULY 1.

This big girl was caught by Manford Parker of Canso aboard the Lady Rosetta weighing in at 9lbs!

Undersized green female on the Stephanie Eileen.

So true! Thanks Michael de Adder for yet another timely right whale cartoon!

Caught on the Stephanie Eileen

The semi-submersible crane vessel Thialf is expected to leave its anchorage location in Chedabucto Bay on June 24 or 25, 2020 and return to Thebaud (4353.4'N 6011.9'W) to continue decommissioning of the offshore platforms. Thialf will return to the Sable field with the tug Bylgia and the H-542 export barge. For this next portion of removals activity, the loading of the export barge will take place in the offshore area, not in Chedabucto Bay. Also today, June 23, the export... barge (H-591) now loaded with decommissioned Sable facilities is expected to depart for the UK with the tug Boskalis Princess. The map below shows the Thialf’s route from Chedabucto Bay to its offshore location: NOTE: Call Sign for the Thialf is 3EAA4 If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jay Hartling, ExxonMobil’s Fisheries and Indigenous Relations Advisor @ [email protected] or 902-329-8310

If you have any inquiries concerning federal or provincial government programs related to the fishery or otherwise ; please contact the office Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. (902) 366-2266.

Reminder that ALL 2020 Lobster logs are due by July 15. Please remember to submit both log pages and don't forget to check the SARA box if you did not encounter... any. These must be submitted at the end of each month during the season, by the 15th of the following month. Atlantic Catch Data 32 Hawthorne Street Yarmouth, NS B5A 1M7

Noah spent Father’s Day on Light Winds with his Dad learning the ropes! With Sarah Delorey and Jamie Delorey

Caught on the Stephanie Eileen out of Canso.

Caught on the Lady Nova

Patrick Boudreau discovered this lobster in the stomach of a sculpin.

We had a visitor this morning. I think he may be our new Manager. Sarah Delorey Jamie Delorey

HAPPENING TODAY Today, the Thialf departed its offshore location at the North Triumph platform (4341.9'N 5951.2'W) and is now headed for Chedabucto Bay. NOTE: Call Sign for the Thialf is 3EAA4 Thialf maximum speed is 5 knots; anticipated arrival to the designated anchorage location in Chedabucto Bay is PM on Monday the 15th of June... The map below shows the vessel’s route from its offshore location to Chedabucto Bay: The Thialf will be moored at the following anchorage location in Chedabucto Bay: Anchorage A (4524.3N, 6110.3W) On June 15th, the export tug (Boskalis Princess) and export barge (H-591) will be moving from Mulgrave to the anchorage location to support the Thialf. Boskalis Princess HMC H-591 Barge Additional notifications will be provided once the Thialf is at anchorage in Chedabucto Bay.

Caught on the Smugglers Cove out of Canso

Caught on the Chloe and Tanner out of Sonora.

Caught out of Canso on the 2 C’S

Caught on the First Water out of White Head.

Caught on the First Water out of White Head

Colouring book available to download