Tag Archives: Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association

P.E.I. lobster fishing industry looking at replacements for traditional bait

A Tignish lobster fisherman says he would welcome new bait sources for the fishery “as long as it is environmentally-friendly.”  Kenneth LeClair,,, was commenting on news that a Canadian fish broker was recently granted permission to bring in blackbelly rosefish from Uruguay to use as bait for the lobster fishery in Maine. The company, New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture, is still awaiting Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s decision on whether it can also market the bait in Atlantic Canada.,,, Meanwhile, a P.E.I. startup company, Bait Masters Inc., is in the research and development phase of testing the potential for an all-natural bait made of fish products and fish oils. >click to read< 11:35

Fishing industry taking steps to protect endangered whales, says association

The president of the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association says he is proud of the efforts undertaken by spring lobster fishermen to help prevent fishing gear entanglements by endangered North Atlantic right whales. Craig Avery said fishermen went with larger bunches during the fishing season to reduce the amount of rope in the water. Shortly after the season closed, Avery estimates more than 30 boats assisted Fisheries and Oceans personnel in a two-day sweep of the lobster grounds, looking for missing or forgotten lobster gear. >click to read<18:32

P.E.I.’s Western Gulf fishermen excited about highest lobster numbers from survey

There will be more numbers presented at the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association’s annual meeting in Charlottetown next month, but Francis Morrissey just couldn’t wait that long to share a statistic from Lobster Fishing Area 24. Morrissey, president of the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association, shared the result from a settlement survey conducted last summer during the group’s annual meeting in Alberton earlier this week. “It was the highest recruitment that was ever recorded any place in Canada or the United States,”,,, >click here to read< 09:10

Western Gulf fishermen bristle at other P.E.I. fisheries group resolution

The Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association has answered back to the Prince County Fishermen’s Association. Last week the PCFA voted in favour of a sending a motion to the annual meeting of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association next month in Charlottetown, calling on all lobster advisory committees in the province to work towards a uniform lobster carapace size. >click here to read< 11:43

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

Most of P.E.I.’s 960-boat spring lobster fleet will set gear Saturday – Fishermen from Point Prim to Victoria will set a week later

Some lobster fishermen started transferring traps from the wharf to their boats on Thursday as preparations for Saturday’s opening of the spring lobster fishing season shifted into high gear. Many of the crews, however, are waiting until Friday to load up. “I hope everybody has a safe season, all across P.E.I and I hope the catches are good,” said Francis Morrissey, president of the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association. Morrissey said many of the fishermen in his area have been able to catch a fair amount of spring herring for bait to get their season started, and he’s encouraged that the weather conditions for setting day, this Saturday are forecast to be good. click here to read the story, and we wish these fishermen well. Stay Safe! 11:55

Robert Morrissey cautions P.E.I. fishermen about future of lobster stock

The lengthy discussions on lobster carapace that kept the Prince County Fishermen’s Association’s annual meeting running for nearly five hours last week were largely missing from the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association agenda last Monday. It’s not that carapace wasn’t on the fishermen’s minds. It’s just that president Francis Morrissey advised members they will organize a special meeting to discuss carapace rather than take up time at the annual meeting. They did hear from Egmont MP Robert Morrissey,,, Read the story here 14:07

Lobster fishermen favour licence stacking proposal

Members of the Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association voted overwhelmingly this week in favour of a proposal that might allow them to hold both a spring and a fall lobster license in the same name. The proposal was put out for secret ballot during the WGFA’s annual meeting Monday at the Western Community Curling Club. Read the rest here 18:54

Western Gulf Fishermen’s Association have voiced their opposition DFO’s logbook plans

fisheries_and_oceansWGFA president Craig Avery raised his group’s concerns with Colin MacIsaac, PEI chief of resource management with DFO. MacIsaac was attending the group’s annual meeting. “We want to see something in place where we know the data is going to be used before we go ahead with the work and expense of logbooks. I think it should be put off until 2015, until DFO demonstrates to us that they can use the information they are going to get,” Avery said. “I think it is a waste of time.” Read more@sou’wester  21:25