As crab season gets closer, Labrador harvesters worry about their health amid pandemic
Workers are concerned about keeping their distance in an industry where work is shoulder to shoulder
Every summer the crab fishery in Labrador employs hundreds of workers in Cartwright, Makkovik, L'Anse-au-Loup and Mary's Harbour.
But this year COVID-19 is on the minds of crab harvesters and plant workers, who are concerned about maintaining physical distancing in the workplace.
Crab fisherman Joey Angnatok has been fishing since the mid-'90s and he's worried not only for his health but also his crew members' health.
"Let's just say an observer was on board your boat last week, and then he comes on my boat and we find out that one of your crew members had the sickness," said Angnatok. "There's so much uncertainty you drive yourself crazy trying to think about all the possibilities."
Last weekend, the provincial Fish Harvesting Safety Association released 12 control measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 while fishing.
One measure requires the crew to maintain a distance of six feet where possible, a feat Angnatok says harvesters will have a hard time following.
"It's bad enough for me on a 65-footer but, I mean, you think about the other guys on 30-foot vessels. Three or four guys on board trying to keep distancing and all that kind of stuff — I don't even know how it's gonna be possible," he said.
"Even six feet is a lot if you're in a nice-sized house but on board of a ship, I don't know. It's gonna be hard to do."
As for when the fishery starts up, the planned date is May 1, but the Food, Fish & Allied Workers union is calling to delay it until May 11, something Angnatok isn't worried about.
"We're pretty lucky here in the north because all of our fishing grounds for the most part are ice covered," he said. "We're normally sitting around and waiting this time of year for the ice to dissipate so we can get out there."
What a year to get into the fishery
Guido Rich has been fishing for others for years, but this year he decided to skipper his own boat, and what a year to take on such a financial responsibility.
Rich is in the process of securing a boat, insurance and fishing licence.
"It's a pretty big expense. I'm pretty much doing it all by myself, never went through the bank or nothing," Rich said. "It's pretty sketchy — don't know what's going on with fishing, if there's going to be fishing this year, not going to be no prices into it, not like last year anyway."
The price of crab last year was about $5.40 per pound, and although this year's price hasn't been announced yet, both Angnatok and Rich expect it to be half that.
While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $62.5 million for Canada's fish and seafood sector Saturday, the money is meant to help processors and plant workers by paying for new equipment and personal protective gear.
However, in a news conference Saturday, federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said that government is "actively exploring" ways to help harvesters.
'Whole new can of worms'
Workers at crab plants are also concerned about physical distancing, as when it gets busy, work can be shoulder to shoulder.
Clara Dyson has been working in the plant in Cartwright for 28 years.
"Right now we got nothing to worry about because the virus is not here. But by going back to work and if somebody happens to take the virus in, what then? Like if somebody in the plant gets it it'll go right through the plant," Dyson said.
Dyson is also concerned about workers from out of town coming into Cartwright.
"We get out-of-towners that comes in and goes to work here too, right? And that opens up a whole new can of worms."Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador