Fisheries Minister Tom Hedderson

The province is eyeing a smaller, more targeted, early retirement program for fishery industry workers, according to Fisheries Minister Tom Hedderson.

"I don't want to flow it out there with any degree of certainty, except to say that the union has made representation, the industry itself has made representation, and we must take these under consideration," Hedderson said this week.

"Because I think it's obvious to all that the federal government is simply not interested in that. So we may have to take another direction."

For years, the province has been lobbying Ottawa to take on 70 per cent of the costs for an early retirement program for Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries workers.

The province would cover the other 30 per cent.

Previous estimates have put the overall cost of such an initiative at up to $100 million.

The province's share could be as much as $30 million.

The Williams government has resisted calls in the past to come forward with its share of the cash, even without federal involvement.

But, according to Hedderson, the province is at least considering that option now.

"Maybe we could become more specific in some adjustments - maybe area by area, plant by plant," the minister noted. "Again, that's just a thought."

Hedderson noted that union officials have suggested a "plant by plant" retirement strategy.

The government is open to the idea of carrying out a cost-benefit analysis of the idea, he said.

In the past, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers' union (FFAW) has argued that an early retirement program is necessary to open up opportunities for younger workers, and to strengthen the jobs of those who remain.

FFAW president Earle McCurdy said Friday it's "abundantly clear the feds are not interested in putting a cent in" for early retirement.

McCurdy acknowledged that a plant-specific approach is one of the options broached with the province by the union.

He said it is "encouraging" the province is at least considering moving forward with a retirement initiative of its own.

In 2007, Premier Danny Williams expressed concern that the province's fish-processing industry could collapse within five years due to an aging workforce, and younger workers moving out West for jobs.

At the time, Williams said the absence of an early retirement program would lead to "a serious problem" in the industry.

Williams pressed for federal support of the early retirement initiative in letters to federal party leaders during recent election campaigns.

Those pleas have largely fallen on deaf ears.

Newly minted federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea recently threw cold water on the idea.

"A lot of times when you think about a retirement package it's because there's not enough work, but if it's simply to retire to make room for someone else, then I don't think that's something that would be very high on a priority list," Shea told The Telegram in a November 2008 interview at her Ottawa ministerial office.

rantle@thetelegram.com