Landings, Shore Prices, Markets Down for Southwest N.S. Lobster Fishery
Above: Donnie Smith and his daughter Chrissie fish for lobster alongside the Cape Sable Island Causeway. Kathy Johnson photo
The opening month of the lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia has been a perfect storm of decreased landings, markets and prices and foul weather.
“For members of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, the opening of the LFA 33 and 34 lobster season has been extremely challenging,” says executive director Leo Muise.
“Inflation, diminished ...
Lobster Season Begins in SW Nova
With the lobster season off and running in Southwestern Nova Scotia, regulators want harvesters to be aware of the risks involved.
Vessels will be loaded with traps and gear, increasing the risk of an accident, especially in inclement weather.
“Boarding boats in the cold and dark, at the mercy of the weather and the sea, makes fishing dangerous work. Safety is a crucial priority,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Steve Craig.
“One tragedy is one too many, so we urge ...
SWNS Lobster Fishery in Winter Crawl Mode
Above: The Zena Marie steams by as crates of lobster are being offloaded from the fishing vessel Big Jim at the Falls Point wharf in Woods Harbour. Kathy Johnson photos
Another North Atlantic winter has set in and the water temperatures have dropped, as have the catches in the southwest Nova Scotia lobster fishery going into February.
“The last week or so it’s come in cold. The catches have dropped down quite a bit in the last week,” said Lockeport lobster buyer Mike ...
Lobster Season Off and Running in SW Nova Scotia
Above: Lobster fishing boats leave the Falls Point wharf in Woods Harbour loaded with gear on Dec. 1 marking the start of the LFA 34 fishery. Kathy Johnson photo
Strong winds and record-setting shore prices prevailed during the opening month of the commercial lobster fishery in lobster fishing areas (LFA) 33 and 34.
The season opening was delayed by two days until Dec. 1 due to high winds. A record-setting opening shore price of $10/pound increased to the $11 range prior to ...
Harvesters Hoping Spring Lobster Fishing Will Soon Ramp Up in SW Nova
Coronavirus Fears Starting to Negatively Impact Industry
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
Lobster fishing boats in lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 will soon be back at it in earnest for the final three months of the six-month season that ends on May 31.
Foul weather has played a major factor in the opening months of the fishery.
“We had some of the worst weather in the first two and half weeks of the season than we’ve had in quite a while,” said Bernie Barry, ...
New Study Outlines Good News for Future SW Nova Lobster Habitat
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
Overall projected changes in offshore lobster habitat for the region, as a whole, appear to be positive.
However, changes in resource management need to be considered to promote the long-term sustainability of the fishery in Nova Scotia, according to the findings of a new study published this fall in Frontiers in Marine Science.
The study was a collaboration between researchers at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Bedford Institute of Oceanography ...
Night and Day Difference Between Lobster Fishing in P.E.I. and S.W. Nova Scotia
In Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Jesse Bell is
captain of his own 43-foot wooden lobster fishing boat, How Boat That.
However, for a few months for the past four winters, he has
found himself back aft on lobster boats in southwestern Nova Scotia, working in
a fishery that is as different as “night and day” as the one back home in
P.E.I.
Like many Maritimers, Bell grew up in a fishing family,
spending a day here and there out fishing with his father. By the time he was
14 or ...
Two Names But One of a Kind
Nova Scotia’s Legendary Fisheries Journalist is Gone
You know that someone with two sets of names, both first and last, was bound to be an interesting person and the man we spelled as “Alain Meuse” was more than just interesting — there was no one quite like him.
Allen Muise, as he was officially named, passed away on August 5, 2017 and his loss leaves a huge gap in fisheries journalism in southwest Nova Scotia.
For us at the Navigator his passing means the loss of a colleague. ...
Organization and Lobbyists Could Be Solution to Industry Woes
When the late U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appointed a person into his inner circle, who at times had publicly disagreed with his policies, he justified his decision by saying he’d rather have the guy inside the tent peeing out than outside the tent peeing in.
When it comes to having any influence with governments, especially Ottawa concerning the commercial fishery, hiring lobbyists is the solution because the opposition is doing so and with results.
Three worried lobster harvesters ...
Negative Reaction to Lobster Industry Observer Program
A recent meeting conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on a proposed Nova Scotia lobster observer program drew a mixed reaction.
The Lockeport meeting was held in June and was meant for organized groups of lobster harvesters in the region.
“We weren’t told what the meeting was all about and by law organized fishermen’s group like ours have to be told,” Colin Sproul said.
He is the spokesman for the 175-member Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermens Association.
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