Tag Archives: LFA 24

Fall lobster fishers hoping for a prosperous season

“We always look forward to going fishing,” said Mark Arsenault, president of the Prince County Fishermen’s Association. “It’s a gamble, you look to see if you’ve got a winning hand or not.” While prices have been looking good in the lead up to the season that starts on Aug. 9, one concern on the minds of fishers is if there will be any more grid closures should any more North Atlantic Right Whales be spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “There’s an area that’s closed and it looks like it’s going to be closed until November,” said Mr Arsenault. “It’s deep water, from the 24/25 line to probably close to Miminegash. We’re trying to get a two week closure instead of a seasonal closure, but time will tell how that will go.” >click to read< 08:54

Areas closed to protect North Atlantic Right whales ready to re-open Friday in western P.E.I.

Charlie McGeoghegan, the chair of the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I., said the re-opening is good news. “They were fishing in 80 to 100 feet of water, a lot of them, and the lobster had just started to come on in that area. And then they were forced to pull all the gear out of that area and move it into 60 feet of water or less,” he said. “There’s basically 400 boats in that area or close to it. If you take all those boats and put them in a little narrow strip between the shoreline and 60 feet depth of water … it’s an over-congestion of gear.” McGeoghegan said losses over the past two weeks could be significant for some crews. >click to read< 14:28

Right whale sighting shuts down lobster fishing section for at least 15 days

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is asking lobster fishers to remove all gear in a portion of Lobster Fishing Area 24 within the next 96 hours due to the confirmed sighting of a North Atlantic right whale. The whale was at the 10 and 20 fathom line in LFA 24 off the Island’s northern coast, the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association said in a release. Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the P.E.I. Lobster Marketing Board, said the early closure is “very disappointing.”  “It’s the heart of our season.” >click to read< 11:36

P.E.I. South Shore lobster season starting early to avoid fishing into July

There will be two opening days in P.E.I.’s spring lobster season in 2023, with setting day for harbours on the Island’s South Shore on Wednesday, April 26, four days earlier than the traditional setting day of April 30. “The early opening is in an effort to keep the season from extending into July,” said Mike Dixon, who chairs the lobster advisory committee for 26A. “We have fished into July in the past, and we know that’s the time of year that the lobsters are into their reproductive stage and also their moult stage, so it’s to make sure that the season’s over June 30 or earlier.” >click to read< 09:12

PEI – Lobster prices remain low as fuel and bait cost soar

The cost of fuel and bait continue to cause concern as fishers in LFA 24 reach the halfway point in their season. “Expenses are at a high right now,” said Korbin Fraser, Captain of the No Worries, based in Northport. “You really got to watch what you’re spending on fuel and bait because your profit can go out the window pretty quick.” Shane Gavin, captain of the Miss Holly 86, based in Seacow Pond, commiserates with Mr Fraser on the expense of these necessities. “You gotta have bait and fuel, you can’t do nothing about it,” said Shane Gavin. “I just hope the lobsters stay where they’re at right now for a while anyway, for another couple of weeks.” While expenses have been increasing, prices haven’t. >click to read< 10:19

Video: Spring lobster season officially underway on P.E.I.

The spring lobster season on P.E.I. officially got underway Tuesday after a four-day delay due to weather. Boats in Lobster Fishing Area 26A, the southeast, left at 6 a.m. while those in LFA 24, on the North Shore, started at 9 a.m. Many fishing captains hire extra help on setting day, when the boats are loaded with traps. They will begin pulling the traps on Wednesday. Erin Bagloe, who fishes out of Red Head Harbour, said he prefers to get going at 6 a.m. but agreed with the decision to delay.  Video, >click to read< 15:55

Weather Delay: Spring lobster seasons in parts of three Maritimes provinces to open on Tuesday.

The decision came after the Lobster Advisory Committee met with DFO Sunday morning. The seasons for LFA 23 in northeastern New Brunswick, LFA 24 in northern P.E.I. and LFA 26A in southerneastern P.E.I. and northern Nova Scotia were originally scheduled to start April 30, but were delayed due to poor weather. “Safety is paramount,” Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association,,, >click to read< 14:35

Cape Breton: Lobster fishermen protest delay to the season

About 75 lobster fishermen took to the Canso Causeway Monday, protesting the delay of the lobster season. The fishermen – who motorists going by said weren’t interfering with traffic — held signs on the Cape Breton side, while a few were beyond the bridge behind the guardrail. “The season hasn’t opened, that’s the main reason they are upset,” said Jordan MacDougall, president Inverness South Fisherman’s Association, adding May 1 is their usual season opening. “The Gulf area and P.E.I. have been delayed until May 15. Everyone’s upset about that.” >click to read< 20:12

Letter of the Day: Respect the vote and let open LFA 24 on May 6

I am here to talk about our concerns about the delay in our lobster fishery to May 15th. We the fishers of Lobster Area 24 voted in favor of going fishing on May 6. This was a legal vote; we cannot understand how a federal minister of fisheries can open areas in her own riding and province but close fishing zones in other provinces for no reason. Years ago, when we had issues with delays, there were votes held when fishers wanted to go. Those votes were respected by the minister of fisheries at that time. >click to read< 08:28

Gulf of St. Lawrence Spring lobster season begins at 6 a.m. on May 15

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says this year’s spring lobster fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence will open May 15 and close on June 30. The decision released today delays the traditional April 30 start of the season by about two weeks. The new start date covers fishing areas 23, 24 and 26A and B along the northern coasts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, as well as a section of the Northumberland Strait. The season will begin at 6 a.m. on May 15 as long as weather conditions allow. >click to read< 07:34

Season opens May 3 for P.E.I. lobster fishermen

Friday, May 3 will be the first day of the 2019 spring lobster fishery in Lobster Fishing Areas 24, 26A and 26B. The season was initially scheduled to open on Monday, April 29, but forecasts of windy conditions on four successive conference calls have delayed the opening until Friday. Fishermen will be able to leave port at 6 a.m. Friday to start setting gear. There’s an exception for a section of LFA 26A, from Point Prim to Victoria which traditionally opens one week later than the rest of the district. >click to read<13:32

P.E.I’s spring lobster fishermen in favour of size increase

The president of the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association says he’s confident Prince Edward Island’s spring lobster fisheries will have a one-millimeter increase in the minimum carapace length in 2018. Francis Morrissey, who is also a member of the Lobster Fishery Area 24 Lobster Advisory Committee was basing his optimism on the results of surveys the LFA 24 and LFA 26A Lobster Advisory Committees mailed out to their members this fall.,,, Morrissey said the decision to go with a size increase is the fishermen’s. “We feel very strongly about this,, click here to read the story 18:07

Carapace Size Increase – Craig Avery: PEIFA follows democratic vote

There seems to be inconsistency in Egmont MP Morrissey’s approach to what constitutes due process. In one case he is advocating that a vote should have been taken before any carapace increase was decided upon in LFA 25, but challenges the recent votes that did not support a carapace size increase in LFA 24 and 26A. Mr. Morrissey states there should have been stronger leadership in favour of an increase. The vote process was led by the respective Lobster Advisory Chairs and included open information meetings, detailed mail-outs to all fishers in these areas and secret ballot votes. This is a valid democratic process and the results reflect the wishes of the “constituents” in these fishing communities. Read the rest here 11:01