With record shore prices, strong landings and available plant labour until the end of the season, the lobster fishery has been a good news story on P.E.I. in 2021.
With more than a month to go in the LFA 25 fishery which closes Oct. 10, “landings have been holding strong,” said Molly Aylward, the new executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA).
In early September, fishermen were fetching $8 to $8.50/pound for canners and $9 to $9.50 for market size. The price is record setting, said Aylward.
She said the lobster quality “has been great” this season. “Fishermen have better equipment, such as insulated holding tanks and canopies which help to ensure the quality of the lobster” in the hot summer weather.
Jerry Gavin, executive director of the P.E.I. Processors Association, said the good news this season for his sector is the extension given to temporary foreign workers (TFWs). Normally TFWs can only work 180 days.
“We were able to get that extended to 270 days which is a real positive,” said Gavin. “It means the labour will be here right until the end of the season. That’s good news that’s happened. We have our labour to process.”
Because of COVID-19, TFW work-terms were also extended last year to 270 days, said Gavin, explaining every year applications have to be made and approved to bring in TFWs, who are an integral part of the workforce.
“We see the shift in the local workforce,” said Gavin. “When people retire, we’re not replacing them with locals” because there are very few locals to replace them with for the most part, except for TFWs who have become permanent residents.
Gavin said that’s why immigration is so important. “We see that trend increasing over time.”
Market-wise, Gavin said from what he’s hearing, markets continue to be strong.
“Things are going along reasonably well. The catches are pretty strong. Anecdotally, what you hear on the wharf is maybe not as strong as last year, but catches are good. Catches were really strong at the start of the year. They usually start to trail off around this time.”
Gavin said last year, around 11 million pounds of lobster were harvested by P.E.I. fishers. Overall, there are about 1,225 lobster fishermen on P.E.I. Most fish the spring season in LFAs 24 and 26a.
LFA 25 is a small fishery for P.E.I., with about 225 harvesters and a much larger fishery in New Brunswick where the majority of the fishers are, explained Gavin.
