Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach has penned a letter to Federal Minister of Employment Carla Qualtrough after fishermen in the North were denied employment insurance.
According to Bachrach, he heard concerns from the Unemployed Action Centre in Prince Rupert.
He added the centre helped over 80 fishermen apply for the benefits but many of those applications were denied.
Bachrach is calling the rejections unfair.
“These fishermen applied in good faith based on a widespread understanding of the modified eligibility rules. I’m concerned that either the government didn’t adequately communicate the rules to fishermen or their unions or has interpreted them in a way that is unfair,” he said.
According to Bachrach, the last couple of seasons have been tough for fishermen in the region.
He added that he is hopeful the minister can fix the issue.
In 2020, temporary changes were made to the EI Fishing Benefits program so that fishermen could use their earnings in the previous three years to determine eligibility instead of the most recent year.