Newfoundland naval engineer not impressed with DFO’s boat length policy change
Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters are about to catch a break on boat size rules that put lives in danger by encouraging them to sail in shorter, much less protected vessels.
However a naval engineer isn’t about to cease waving pink flags.
Earlier Monday Liberal MP Ken McDonald, talking for federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray, introduced on his Fb web page that the utmost vessel size rule for inshore boats within the province might be modified from 39’11” to 49’11”. That brings the DFO coverage for N.L. consistent with the DFO vessel size coverage for different Atlantic Canadian provinces.
The change, stated McDonald, will come into impact for the 2023 fishing season.
Nevertheless, Dag Friss stated the change in coverage doesn’t remedy the entire drawback.
“All it does . . . is whenever you get boats from the Maritimes bought to house owners within the Newfoundland and Labrador area, they’re much less more likely to be mangled by having to chop off items on the bow or stern,” he stated.
All that is, he recommended, is DFO making an attempt to resolve the inequities within the vessel size guidelines between the 2 jurisdictions.
The coverage change gained’t essentially imply safer fishing boats, he instructed SaltWire.
Friss, a retired professor of naval architectural engineering, has been advocating for higher vessel design for years.
As DFO restricted the size of vessels, fish harvesters started constructing boats wider, creating length-to-beam ratios which are “out of whack”, he stated in an interview final yr.
These wider boats, with a bow like a wall, are extra expensive to function, he stated, just because they require extra power to push them by way of the water.
Additionally they are inclined to get pushed side-on to waves, growing the chance for crew members who need to take care of extra pitching and rolling motions as they work on deck.
This coverage change, he stated, does nothing to enhance security by guaranteeing vessels are correctly engineered to satisfy splendid size to beam ratios.
“The one factor I can see that may do that’s going away from any restrictions on the boat, as such,” he stated.
Friss stated he actually gained’t be glad till DFO removes itself from the function of coverage maker for fishing vessel design.
That job, he stated, ought to fall to Transport Canada and others who’ve experience in vessel design and security.
“Whether or not that’s Transportation Canada or … Lloyd’s Registry or the American Bureau of Transport, or by licensed, skilled engineers.
“There needs to be some oversight work earlier than … anybody begins building of a vessel; the identical method it really works for service provider vessels working in nationwide and worldwide coastal commerce.”
DFO ought to solely be involved about fisheries administration, and insurance policies round most allowable journey limits, he stated.
That’s why he’s not prepared to surrender on his years-long quest for coverage modifications concerning design of fishing boats.
He hinted he and others who share his concern, together with the Engineers of Canada plan to ramp up their advocacy on this difficulty.
“We’re determining subsequent steps,” he stated, saying he can be keen to say extra about that when he has extra particulars.
Different response
When requested for feedback, the Fish Meals and Allied Staff (FFAW) union replied with an e mail.
President Keith Sullivan stated, “Members had been anticipating extra session earlier than a call was made after the messages despatched from DFO earlier this season.
He added, “There are actually quite a few harvesters who’re each against and supportive of such a change.”
Earlier this yr, nevertheless, fish harvesters did have an opportunity to supply their opinion on the boat size coverage in a sequence of on-line consultations with DFO officers, held through zoom. One of many particular gadgets on the dialogue agenda was vessel size insurance policies.
Right now, a number of fish harvesters took to social media to welcome the information.
“About time somebody grew a mind,” wrote one on the Newfoundland Fishermen’s Discussion board Fb web page.
One other raised the query about whether or not there must be compensation for “all people who needed to spend 1000’s of {dollars} reducing off completely good boats.”
Ryan Cleary, government director of Seaward Enterprises Affiliation of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) instructed SaltWire, “That’s a rattling good query.”
Cleary added there will be extra carried out in direction of higher security on fishing boats.
On that time, he stated, there must be higher communication between Transport Canada and inshore harvesters so the harvesters know in regards to the gear they need to have on their vessels and perceive the way it can save their lives.
General, although, SEA-NL is proud of the Monday announcement.
“The times of chopping off boats are over. This can be a huge victory for inshore harvesters in what’s now the below 40’ fleet,” stated SEA-NL president Jason Sullivan, who’s an inshore owner-operator from Bay Bulls.
“We now have fought DFO on this province and the FFAW for years to be handled the identical as the remainder of Atlantic Canada when it comes to vessel size, and as we speak we lastly have a victory that places the security and lives of inshore harvesters first.”
In the meantime, Ken McDonald additionally indicated as we speak that DFO is likely to be contemplating different coverage modifications for the fishing trade in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This fall, he stated, the division might be consulting with fish harvesters on the vessel leasing coverage.
At the moment, harvesters on this province who lease a fishing vessel need to maintain that boat of their identify for one year. In the remainder of Atlantic Canada, lease arragements will be modified after 30 days.
