What we did was get together. We had a meeting with people from Paspébiac to Sainte-Thérèse. There were more than 150 of us in the room, and we had no idea what was going to happen to us. We knew we would not be receiving employment insurance this year. However, we did want to know what the process was to qualify for it, before going out to sea and working for four weeks to fill the fish plants and supply the global fish market. Personally, I ended up with nothing. That was all we were interested in. We wanted to ensure there would be someone behind us giving us some support.
Personally, I did not have time to find another job. My work was seasonal. Like all the others, I waited for the fishery to open in April. When the quota cut was announced, we were not expecting to work much. At that point, I wondered whether I should leave my boat and the crew and go away immediately, or whether I should try to work in my region and qualify for employment insurance.
Today we are being told we will receive training at the École des pêches. Training is not something new for me. Since I lost my job at the Gaspésia plant ten years ago, I have spent five years in school. I am not afraid to either go to school or work. That is what we need: a little help.