Shrimp producers unhappy with deal

The Association of Seafood Producers is continuing its fight over a shrimp allocation on the Northern Peninsula.

The battle is over a 3,000 tonne shrimp quota that was transferred from an offshore licence to inshore boats. All shrimp caught under the deal must be brought to the St. Anthony Seafoods plant.

The deal came after the offshore boat that normally catches that shrimp needed repairs, but the quota transfer caused ASP spokesperson Derek Butler to question why the quota wasn't made available to all processing plants.

"The 3,000 tonnes of product could have been added to the inshore quota for shrimp fishing area six, been available to all harvesters to catch and been available to all plants to process. That's not what's happened," he said.

Butler is calling for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to overturn the deal, saying it is unfair to other plants.

"I mean here's six-million pounds of product that is targeted for certain vessels for one plant only and the rest of us the rest of the industry have to compete on the wharf for product in a competitive business," he said.