Canada seeks to claw back $25M in COVID relief from thousands of fishers

Canada seeks to claw back $25M in COVID relief from thousands of fishers

Source: CBC News

11/14/2021

The federal government is demanding 4,193 Canadian fishers repay $25.8 million in COVID-19 relief assistance paid out in 2020 under the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program, CBC News has learned.

More than half the harvesters issued overpayment letters are in Nova Scotia, where 2,382 have received notices totalling $13.8 million, according to data released to CBC News by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

DFO said many harvesters were ineligible because they were regular wage-earning employees rather than self-employed sharepersons, as required under program rules.

"Canada Revenue Agency data appears to indicate that a significant number of applicants have filed incorrect tax information with respect to the nature of their income," DFO spokesperson Barre Campbell told CBC News.

Travis Nickerson of Clarks Harbour, N.S., received an overpayment letter.

"It's a mess," said Nickerson, a lobster boat crewman. "They gave me something when I really needed it, and now they want it back."

Nickerson is paid a share of the catch and saw his income drop in the first half of 2020 when COVID-19 crashed demand for lobster worldwide.

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
4576	USGS, ERDC Scientists installing experimental underwater acoustic deterrent system to stop spread of invasive Asian carp	wqad	2021-02-04	US
4577	The 495 species that got away for Sussex angler	theargus	2009-05-11	UK
4578	Brisbane Scientist Discovers New Species Of Fish; 'A Most Exciting Discovery'	Underwatertimes	2009-04-29	AU
4579	CIBA achieves breakthrough in captive breeding of grey mullet fish	the hindu	2021-01-29	IN
4580	Call to modernise, not expand, Scottish fishing fleet	bbc	2021-01-29	UK
4581	Metre-long sturgeon discovered in Brierfield garden centre spring clean		2009-04-16	UK
4582	The bizarre South American armoured fish found in a Leicestershire canal	Daily Mail	2009-03-29	US
4583	Pharmaceuticals Discovered In Fish In Five Major US Cities; 'Highest Concentrations In Fish Livers'	Underwatertimes	2009-03-25	US
4584	Blind Fish's Sensors May Spur Development Of New Generation Of Active Sonar	Underwatertimes	2009-03-24	US
4585	Snakehead fish now in Alabama? Sounds like it's a possibility	AL	2009-03-23	US
4586	Rare 'funny-looking' lumpsucker fish found in Cornwall	Cornwall News	2021-02-05	UK
4587	A Single Altered Gene Can Make Fish Fins More Like Limbs	smithsonianmag	2021-02-04	US
4588	Human-generated Sounds May Kill Fish	Underwatertimes	2009-03-12	US
4589	Vampire fish found in stream in northern Burma	Mirror.co.uk	2009-03-11	UK
4590	Invasive species are greatest threat to Northwest salmon, report says	The Oregonian	2009-03-05	US
4591	Lake Michigan Fish Populations Threatened By Thriving Junk Food Mussel, Decline Of Nutritious Tiny Shrimp	Underwatertimes	2009-02-19	US
4592	Two-headed fish probe finds no pesticide in water	abc	2009-02-18	US
4593	Historical Photographs Expose Decline In Florida's 'Trophy' Fish; 'Large Fish More Abundant In The Past'	Underwatertimes	2009-02-17	US
4594	Anglers keen to catch 'Phar Lap'	dailyexaminer	2009-02-18	AU
4595	Couple shaken after snowmobile crashes into fish house on Lake Minnetonka	fox news	2021-02-01	US
4596	Fast-growing fish farming can help the environment, researcher says	CBC News	2009-01-02	US
4597	Zoo 'first' to breed dragon fish	bbc	2009-01-14	UK
4598	To Work With Six Identified Nations To Address Illegal, Unreported, And Unregulated Fishing	Underwatertimes	2009-01-13	US
4599	Fish Poop Helps Balance Ocean's Acid Levels; 'A Long-standing Puzzle Facing Marine Chemists'	Underwatertimes	2009-01-15	UK
4600	2 Billion Tons: Researcher Gives First-ever Estimate Of Worldwide Fish Biomass And Impact On Climate Change	Underwatertimes	2009-01-15	CA

183 of [218 - pages.]