Jean-Pierre Element was known to many fishermen and consumers on the North Shore and Gaspésie. The captain had been fishing professionally since the 1980s.
He gave his heart and soul to the waters of the St. Lawrence, explains his son Martin Element.
” My father practically made his living on the sea. […] He was someone who had goals and throughout his life he achieved many of them. »
Captain Martin Element (archives).
Photo: Radio-Canada / Felix Lebel
He fought, he went all the way to Ottawa to get what we call crab allocations. People who have crab allowances today, they can thank my father
says Martin Element.
In defense of fishermen
The Gaspésien Réginald Cotton, former president of the Federation of semi-offshore fishermen of Quebec, fished with Jean-Pierre Element in the same fleet.
These two groundfish fishermen had to suddenly change course when the moratorium on cod fishing was decreed in 1993. Both of them became familiar with shrimp fishing.
Reginald Cotton remembers Mr. Element’s commitment to defending the rights of fishermen in the 1990s.
” Jean-Pierre Element was an ardent defender of the rights of fishermen. »
The Gaspésien Réginald Cotton, former president of the Federation of semi-offshore fishermen of Quebec (archives).
Photo: Radio-Canada / William Bastille-Denis
I worked a lot with Jean-Pierre Element because I represented fishermen like him. We were at the front, both
notes Mr. Cotton.
His legacy shines
Several other people reacted to the news of his death, including the director of the documentary Shoal Captains Cédric Landry, of which Jean-Pierre Element was a member.
When I made the documentary, we had the chance to sail for several days at sea with Jean-Pierre Element to go shrimp fishing. He was really someone who was passionate about the sea, someone who told us about all the trips he had made
says Mr. Landry.
” He was someone who loved his job, but who loved his family too, because he fished with his two sons Rémy and Martin Element. »
Cedric Landry
Photo: Radio-Canada
The documentary maker adds that during a presentation of the feature film at the Coop Paradis de Rimouski, Jean-Pierre Element was present to talk about his job.
The world would have listened to him all night! You could really see that he was passionate. […] He was someone who had seen the sea in all its forms
says Cedric Landry.
He always taught us never to be discouraged and to be valiant. It is thanks to him if, today, me and my brother, we are here. I mean, we sailed many years together
explains Martin Element.
Réjean Richard, an alternate member of the crew, as well as Rémy and Martin Element, replace a grid of a net on the ship Mérou (archives).
Photo: Alain James Dubé
Ann-Édith Daoust, who owns the Caplan Côte-Nord company, also remembers her meeting with Jean-Pierre Element to photograph him. She highlighted her departure on social networks.
I thought it was important to underline the departure of this man, who fed several Septilienne families with his shrimp and who had an impact particularly in the fishing industry.
says Ms. Daoust.
It was cancer that took Jean-Pierre Element.
The captain’s two sons, Martin and Rémy, will take over their father’s family business.
With information from Perrine Bullant
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca