In the Thick of it
Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaking Operations
This time of year it’s common to look out your window to see a field of packed ice and snow covering your beautiful harbour.
Living in a region of Canada that relies heavily on marine transportation for work, commerce and travel, ice conditions play a major role in whether schedules are met, property is damaged and people’s safety.
It’s easy to see why the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) icebreaking operations are such an important part of ...
Putting Green Crab on P.E.I’s Menu
Sophie St. Hilaire foresees a day where Prince Edward Islanders will do their part for the environment by sitting down to eat a big plate of green crabs.
The cretin crustaceans are native to Europe and are an invasive species on this side of the Atlantic. They have been spreading throughout Atlantic Canada since the early 1990s.
So why not eradicate them and have a full belly at the same time, reasons St. Hilaire, an associate professor at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University ...
Increasing Income and Profitability in the Fishery
A value chain is the sequence of activities that ultimately delivers products and/or services to the final consumer.
In the capture fishery, for example, harvesters catch fish and sell them to processors, who turn them into a range of products and sell them to buyers, who may process them further or distribute them through retail stores, restaurants, or other channels to the consumers who eat the products.
The prices paid by the consumers at the end of the chain determine the overall ...
Exploratory Fisheries and Ecosystem Surveys in Nunavut
Exploratory marine fisheries in Nunavut represent potential new opportunities for economic development and have recently been extended thanks to an industry-academic partnership which will provide new insights about the marine ecosystems that support Arctic food webs and fisheries yields.
In 2014, the Arctic Fishery Alliance (AFA) and the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research (CFER) undertook a mission to Nunavut to explore potential new fisheries and collect valuable ...
Aquaculture and Lobster; Two Reports, Different Responses
You’d think the discussion of a topic which could have a direct impact on your income down the road would garner a fair bit of response.
What I’m referring to is the release a few months ago of the generic marketing plan for Canadian lobster, which would be funded by a levy at the first point of sale.
The plan has been endorsed by lobstermen in P.E.I., parts of New Brunswick and the northern and eastern sections of Nova Scotia.
The tri-county area of Digby-Yarmouth-Shelburne in ...
Concentrate on the Issues and Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Occasionally something happens that “takes the cake” and sticks in your gut to the point that you have to get it off your chest.
February 20, 2015 being a beautiful afternoon in Twillingate my wife and I decided to take a leisurely 30-minute drive up to Summerford to try and catch a few smelt for supper. When we arrived at the little cove by the highway, I noticed the federal fishery pickup pull in behind the vehicles already stopped on the roadside, a half dozen people already out on ...
Still on the Water
New Brunswick Fisherman Exchanges Lobsters for Tourists
For three decades Ron Cormier sailed the waters in a 43-foot lobster boat making his living as a lobster fisherman.
He pulled his traps, season after season, working hard to provide for his family even during the years when catches and prices were low.
But these days, rather than fishing crustaceans, Cormier is teaching tourists from all over the world about it through his business, Shediac Bay Cruises and Lobster Tales.
Cormier ...
Twine Loft – April 2015
Passed On: Larry Sears — Shag Harbour Fisherman
Nova Scotia suffered its first fisheries fatality of 2015 when well-known lobsterman and sword fisherman Larry Sears drowned while lobster fishing off Cape Sable Island March 10. Sears, 64, was attempting to free a rope entangled in his pot hauler when he was pulled overboard. Rough seas kept his two-man crew from pulling him on board. Help from a nearby lobster boat finally got Sears out of the water 20 minutes after he had gone in. CPR was ...
