Shrimpers occupy DFO office in Corner Brook

About 30 unionized fishermen were refusing to leave the Department of Fisheries and Oceans offices in Corner Brook on Thursday morning, a day after launching an occupation in protest against slashed inshore shrimp quotas.

The inshore fishermen, who are represented by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, staged a protest outside the building on Wednesday, in conjunction with similar protests in other locations.

But the fishermen moved into the DFO office during the protest to step up their call for the department to rethink the inshore quota cut for shrimp.

About 90 per cent of a 10,000-tonne cut in the overall shrimp cut will come from the allocations to inshore harvesters.

Jason Spingle, a staff representative with the FFAW, said the workers are staying put until DFO agrees to reconsider its decision.

Spingle said no DFO employees have gone inside the building.