No Movement on Nova Scotia Lobster Marketing Plan

The idea of lobster harvesters in LFA 33-34 paying for a marketing scheme is in the doldrums.

Word is that the Nova Scotia government will not force the issue, so the decision is up to the 1,600 mostly unorganized or unaffiliated harvesters in this area.

The United States is a year ahead of Nova Scotia in this regard.

Maine, the nation’s leading lobster producer, has a Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative in motion. The aim, funded by lobster harvesters, is to make Americans aware of lobster and increase demand for the product.

During the past year, it has worked with editors and producers on TV shows like Cooking Light, Food & Wine.

The group says that a billion people potentially saw these articles and learned more about Maine lobster.

The initiative also focused on chefs and culinary influencers to increase demand for Maine lobster.

Meanwhile Nova Scotia sit by twiddling its thumbs, while forces like global warming, ocean acidification and land erosion take place — all of them having a direct effect on the lobster fishery based off southwest Nova Scotia.

Herring Activity

It was a bit late, but herring are once again making fish plants buzz with activity.

The season was late starting this year, probably due to a cooler than average spring. This is an important fishery for human food and the bait industry.

Only about six purse seiners are pursuing this fishery on a full-time basis. When the fish appear close to shore, a number of gillnetters take part in the harvest both off St. Mary’s Bay and on the western Scotian Shelf.

The arrival of herring means employment for seasonal workers at various plants. Together with EI payments, it enables this workforce to remain in the area.

Despite this, there is a shortage of workers in the area with facilities like a lobster processing plant in Meteghan River having to import workers.