Commercial fishers who have had their earnings impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for the federal government’s Fish Harvester Benefit and Fish Harvester Grant programs beginning Aug. 24 but two Manitoba MPs say that it is still unclear when money will be in fishers’ pockets.
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Bernadette Jordan announced Aug. 5 that applications for the benefit and grant programs will be accepted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 21. The benefit program offers up to $10,614 to cover lost wages for self-employed and Indigenous fish harvesters and sharepersons crew, while the grant provides up to $10,000, non-repayable, to self-employed and indigenous harvesters who hold a 2020 commercial fishing licence and have landings against a commercial fishing licence for 2018 or 2019. the total budget for the two programs is nearly $470 million.
“Our fisheries operate under a unique structure and have faced distinct challenges throughout this pandemic, said Jordan. “Our goal is, and has always been, to get the hardworking women and men of Canada’s fisheries the support they need, and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do.”
Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman Conservative MP James Bezan and Churchill-Keewatinook Aski NDP MP Niki Ashton issued a joint news release in response to Jordan’s announcement, saying they are glad the program is moving forward but would like answers about why applications won’t be open until three-and-a-half months after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced the program in mid-May and whether the benefits and grants will be paid out before the application period closes.
“Right now, we are concerned the Liberal government may not pay out the benefits or grants until after the application period closes,” said Ashton and Bezan’s joint statement. “This would extend the wait of commercial fishers to over 18 weeks after the original announcement. We call on Minister Jordan to explain the exact timeline of when commercial fishing businesses and families will have money in hand. The longer Manitoba’s freshwater fishing industry has to wait for support, the harder it gets for fishing families and businesses to recover. For many northern, remote and Indigenous communities, fishing is the economic backbone and without it the community and tertiary businesses will be economically devastated. Manitoba’s commercial fishing families and businesses continue to wait for answers. It is time for Minister Jordan to listen to their valid concerns and be candid about why support has not yet reached them.”
