N.L. shrimp fishery bracing for cuts

Newfoundland and Labrador's fishing industry is bracing for a big hit as shrimp quotas in the area known as 3L are being reduced by as much as 40 per cent.

The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization is reducing the total allowable catch (TAC) from this year's level of 30,000 tonnes to19,000 tonnes next year and then to 17,000 tonnes in 2012.

The 3L fishing area includes the ocean around almost all of eastern Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula and much of the northeast Coast, south of Cape Freels.

The TAC reduction will harm many fishermen.

"If someone relies, strictly on crab and shrimp alone and got out of that mode, like the turbot fishery or the hake fishery, then it could be a difficult sell," said Renews fisherman Gerald Chidley.

Prices may rise with less supply, but that's not guaranteed.

Chidley said the lesson for fishermen is to diversify their operations so they won't be hit hard by quota changes for one species.

Fisheries unionpresidentEarle McCurdy said fishermen aren't the only losers.Processors and plant workers will take a hit too.

"We didn't really have enough work to go around to begin with the fishing enterprises and the plants could have used more weeks of work," he said

McCurdy said the cut wouldgive new urgency to efforts to reduce the number of fish plants in the province.