They presented their argument and now it’s a waiting game for the residents of Little Bay Islands as the province’s Fish Processing Licencing Board mulls over what to do next with that town’s crab licence.
The in-camera meeting between Little Bay Islands Mayor Perry Locke, Shawn Tibbo, deputy mayor of La Scie, Rick LeDrew, CAO for the Town of Springdale, Baie Verte-Springdale MHA Kevin Pollard and the licensing board, took place at the Riverwood Inn in Springdale Thursday, August 26.
Also on hand to give their reasoning as to why they want the licence relocated were the Daleys, owners of the Little Bay Islands fish plant. However, they declined to comment.
The meetings were held because of the Daleys’ request in May to the board to have the crab licence relocated from their fish plant in Little Bay Islands to St. Joseph’s.
As part of the process, anyone was eligible to state their respective case — for or against the relocation
— to the board. Locke said the meeting went well. “ We got to put all of our points forward and they listened intently,” he said. “ We put as good a presentation forward as we could.”
Locke said their presentation mainly consisted of hammering home the point that the plant has survived there before, and the residents should have the “right to determine our own destiny.”
“ We can just hope they understand our points and vote in our favour,” he said.
The mayor said if the board’s decision is to relocate the licence, and if provincial Fisheries Minister Clyde Jackman doesn’t override the judgment, then Little Bay Islands will endure enormous economic side effects.
One solution to the situation is for the Daleys to sell the plant, a concept proposed to them, he said, but turned down because the company wants the lucrative crab licence.
And if it is relocated, all other licences are revoked as well.
“We’re glad we got the chance to present, (but) I wish it didn’t come to this. …. All we take from this is that we did our best and gave good presentations and we can only hope the licencing board sees what we presented and agrees what we’re saying is accurate and they should leave the licence in Little Bay Islands,” Locke said.
But if the licence is transferred, the ripple effect could possibly be felt far beyond the isolated community.
Shawn Tibbo said La Scie is fearful that if the Daleys’ request is granted it will affect the plant in La Scie — also owned by the Daleys .
“We fear that we could have a loss of product for our plant,” he said.
The reason for that is because nearly 80 per cent of the crab processed in La Scie is caught in the 3L fishing zone near the Avalon peninsula, closer to the St. Joseph’s plant, resulting in cheaper transportation costs for the Daleys.
Tibbo said the ripple effects would be astronomical for the small town, and massive out-migration would be imminent.
Long-time fish plant worker and resident of Little Bay Islands, Alma Budgell, 56, said “the heart and soul of Little Bay Islands is going to leave” if government sides with the Daleys.
“I really don’t want to see the plant or the licence leave us,” she said. “Our home is on Little Bay Islands. For me to pick up and leave and go, and settle somewhere else at my age is going to be very difficult.”
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