2019 Herring season a bust for Prince Rupert shore workers

The Canadian Fish Plant on George Hills Way will remain silent
through herring season this year

With word out that the 2019 Herring Season is to be cancelled on the North Coast, the news makes for another chip away at the job prospects for local shore workers.

The dwindling number of fish plant workers in the community heard the news of the herring situation earlier this week at Prince Rupert's Fisherman's Hall, with the local workers with Canadian Fish advised that there would be no freezing of herring on the North Coast and that what work there is from the herring fishery to take place at the Canadian Fish facilities in the Lower Mainland.

The news of the cancellation of the 2019 Herring season is not a surprise, as we noted last December the signals had already been sent out that the season would be one of challenges.

The Herring seasons of the past provided for a significant financial boost for the community both in wages and supplies for local fish plants. It made for a beneficial bump for local workers as part of the lead up to the larger salmon season of the summer.

However, as the fishing industry began to downsize on the North Coast over the last decade, the herring season was the first to feel the hit, as Canadian Fish transferred much of its work to the plants of the Lower Mainland, with the Rupert plant mostly used as a flash freezer and shipment point.

Local workers have the option of picking up hours in the Lower mainland if they wish, based on the company's seniority system.

For more items of note on the Fishing industry on the North Coast see oar archive page here.

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