The opening date for the lobster fishery from Point Escuminac in eastern New Brunswick down to Pugwash, Nova Scotia, has been delayed — again.
It was supposed to begin at 6 a.m. Wednesday, said Luc LeBlanc, fisheries adviser with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union.
But he said weather conditions — including high winds and relatively high waves — made it impossible to start putting out traps.
“Our problem right now is the system that’s going into northern New Brunswick, it still has an effect on the Northumberland Strait,” he said.
The union and Fisheries and Oceans Canada met Wednesday afternoon to discuss whether the season could begin on Friday, but LeBlanc said it was determined to be unsafe. They’ll meet again on Thursday at 10 a.m. to see if Saturday would be a better day.
“We need at least a good 48 hours in advance to load the boats and to make sure the fish plants are ready to greet all this lobster.”
He said it is important to have optimal weather conditions for the first day of the season, also known as “setting day.” This is because on that first day, the vessels will have an unusually large load on board, including around 250 traps as well as ropes and buoys.
It’s important to have extremely stable weather conditions to account for the destabilization of the boats on that day, said LeBlanc, unlike during the rest of the season when the boats won’t be carrying as much gear.
LeBlanc said Saturday looks so-so in terms of weather, but when it comes to setting day, he said it is better to “err on the side of caution.”
Delay means lost revenue
So far, Sunday is looking like the first good window, but because fishermen don’t usually fish on Sundays, he said it’s possible that the first day might have to wait until Monday.
Every day not spent on the water is a day that the fishermen won’t have landings, meaning lobster on board, costing them money, LeBlanc said.
“We’re looking at, you know, pretty impressive revenue losses from every single lost day, especially at the beginning of the year, because that’s when landings will be at their highest,” he said.
Even with an extension at the end of the season, LeBlanc said that still won’t make up for the landings lost during the first couple of weeks.
LeBlanc said it is frustrating for the fishermen to have to stay ashore for weather, but it is also “part of the job.”
“These guys know that you know, taking undue risks is not a safe thing to do in this industry. So people are … taking the pain in stride, but it is painful to not be able to go fish,” he said.
“We’re going to go day-by-day until we get a window that’s safe.”
This story was originally published in CBC News on Aug. 9, 2023.
Hannah Rudderham Portfolio 