LIBERALS PRESS FISHERIES MINISTER TO HELP HERRING PLANT WORKERS
Date: Thursday August 26, 2010

A trio of Liberal MLAs has asked the NDP government to assist hundreds of fish plant workers in western Nova Scotia negatively affected by decreased herring catches and so far, the Minister of Fisheries hasn't responded.

“With herring catches on the decline this year, many seasonal fish plant employees won’t have enough hours to qualify for Employment Insurance benefits at the end of the season,” says Gaudet. “Without their benefits, many workers will face mounting financial strain this winter.”

The Liberal members sent a letter to Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sterling Belliveau last week, urging the minister to contact his federal counterparts and discuss options on what can be done for the workers.

“All we’re asking the minister to do here is his job,” explains Theriault, the Liberal fisheries critic. “The plant workers need Ottawa’s ear and it’s up to Minister Belliveau to take those concerns to the federal government. It’s already been a hard year for herring processors - let’s prevent it from getting any worse.”

Churchill believes the future of the fish plant workers is tied directly to the future economic development of Western Nova Scotia.

“Our region can’t afford to lose these employees or these jobs - without a provincial government advocating for these workers, they may have no choice but to leave the area,” says Churchill. “We can’t grow the economy of southwest Nova Scotia if our workforce continues to shrink.”

-30-