Foreign worker rules should be eased for fish processing industry, pre-budget report says

Canada's fishing sector needs some relief from the "negative impacts of the temporary foreign workerprogram," according to areport sent to the federal finance minister.

The federal government should use the upcoming budget to address the issue "in the immediate term," the House of Commons finance committee report said after countrywide consultations.

Thecommitteeheard presentations from organizations across the country from a variety of sectors including agriculture, food and fisheries. Itrecommends a full review of the temporary foreign worker program.

One of the issues raised was the barriers preventingseafood from getting tomarket.

Limits on the number of workers

The report doesn't specify what negative effects the temporary foreign worker program has hadon the seafoodindustry, but limits on the number of workers companies could hire causedAtlantic Canadian industry professionals to raise concernslast spring.

As recently as January, the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association asked for those limits to be loosened ahead of this spring lobster season in order to have enough staff.

In Caribou, N.S., fish processing plant ownerPaul Logan saidhe'd like to be able to hire workersfor a longer period, perhaps three to four years at a time.

"There's not enough people in the fish community, it's so seasonal," hesaid.

• Nova Scotia lobster industry faced with challenging season

'Good' and 'beneficial'

Logan owns North Nova Seafoods, which wastold last year it could hire fewer than 50 temporary foreign workers for its fish processing plant, after normally hiring closer to 70. That limitation was laterrelaxed, he said.

"It's a good program and beneficial to my community," Logan said.

"It enables us to hire the local people...and helps to bring in a bigger volume of fish because we have a steady workforce."

• Maritime seafood processors fear worker shortage will hurt market

He said he normally hires around 75 local employees each year.

Some of the temporary foreign workershiredfromThailand and Mexico have married and stayed in PictouCounty permanently, he said.

"They're good in the community."

'Support and employ' locals

In southwestern Nova Scotia on Cape Sable Island, lobster buyer and seller Erica Smith said she has no trouble finding local employees for her smaller business of up to 20 full-time seasonal employees.

"Since Alberta's been having its problems with the oil industry, a lot of people are moving back to Nova Scotia," she said.

She said she might consider using the temporary foreign worker program if her company decides in the future to expand into lobster processing.

"There are people out there that do want jobs and there doesn't seem to be enough jobs to support the local economy as it is," Smith said.

"I consider that giving back to my community."

Newfoundland expert weighs in

Memorial University fisheries school director Carey Bonnell presented to the finance committeeto advocatefor government support to increase "innovation, competitivenessand overall market development" of the seafood industry.

"Things like support for temporary foreign workers are tools in the tool kit," Bonnelltold the committee.

"Whether it's a long-term solution or a medium-term solution, you could debate...but if you don't have the labour to produce the product to sell to the global community, then we have a major issue on our hands."