Category Archives: Canada
DFO poised to shake up fishery for tiny eels in ‘devastating’ blow to licence holders
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is poised to impose a major shakeup on the lucrative but problem-plagued Maritime fishery for juvenile eels, stripping most commercial operations of nearly all their quota and handing it to individual fishermen and First Nations. In a letter Thursday, the department proposes that six licence holders, many of which pioneered the industry and slogged through years of low prices before the recent boom, will lose 80 to 90 per cent of the quota they fished before 2022. The remaining three will see cuts of about 60 per cent. “The minister and DFO has taken this fishery, which has provided great-paying jobs and community support for decades, and they’ve basically destroyed it,” said Stanley King, whose company Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd. will lose 81 per cent of its quota. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:57
Crabby start to southwestern N.S. lobster season
Jonah crabs instead of lobster have been filling traps set by many southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishermen fishing in lobster fishing area 34 the first week of the season. “Across the board, we’re hearing a massive biomass of female Jonah crab right now is loading up a lot of the traps, which is a pain for the crew,” says Heather Mulock, executive director of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “It’s always discouraging to see traps full of something you don’t want. One of the biggest concerns this year is the amount of crab.” Mulock said it’s not unusual for crews to have some crabs in their traps, but this year is different. “I’ve talked with enough fishermen, some who have been fishing 30 or 40 years, and they have never seen this much crab in their entire fishing career, so things are changing. Hopefully, this is another anomaly for LFA 34,” she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:31
N.S. lobster dealer granted bail in buyer intimidation case
A 65-year-old lobster dealer from southwest Nova Scotia charged with several counts of intimidation linked to the industry has been granted bail but is barred from dozens of fishing wharves and forbidden from going to almost every lobster wholesaler in the province. Eric David Thibault was arrested last week after RCMP alleged he and his son threatened a lobster buyer whose home near Meteghan, N.S., was shot up days earlier. Thibault also faces previous charges, including allegations he threatened a lobster fisherman who was seeking to change buyers, and three counts of witness intimidation from January involving two people at the harbour in Meteghan. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:43
Toxic Blade Time Bomb
We have documented the threats of industrial wind turbines to both soil and water in their pre and post-construction phases, not to mention birds, bats, insects, and humans. But not enough has been said about the serious environmental threat of “blade shedding.” This is erosion that occurs primarily on the edge of turbine blades as they are exposed to the elements. And it is far from benign: “Microplastic shedding from turbine blades, known as Leading Edge Erosion, is a great concern to manufacturers who are forced to repair the damage that occurs after only a couple of years. The particles eroded from blades include epoxy which is 40% Bisphenol-A (BPA), a frequently banned endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin. Academic research has shown the potential for 137 pounds of epoxy microparticles to be shed per turbine per year.” Mark Twichell, Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie, October 29, 2022, The Buffalo News more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:32
A lobster season Q&A: Supply and demand, price volatility and challenges in markets
It’s never smooth sailing for the Atlantic Canada lobster industry. Each year there are issues and challenges to contend with. The weather and catches are beyond anyone’s control. But the one constant is how important this industry is economically to the region, and to the communities that rely on it. Tasked with such things as marketing and advocacy of the industry is the Lobster Council of Canada. In this Q&A, the council’s executive director, Geoff Irvine, talks about the industry, the upcoming lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia, and the challenges that continue to stack up on the menu. Q: How does the fall opening of the LFA 33 and 34 districts look in comparison to previous seasons? more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:28
Father and son face charges in southwest N.S. lobster-buying intimidation case
A Lamborghini-driving lobster dealer in southwest Nova Scotia and his son have been charged with intimidating a buyer whose home was shot up last weekend, the latest in a number of allegations against the father related to threats and intimidation. Eric David Thibault, 65, and his son, Zacharie David Thibault, 32, were in custody and appeared briefly Friday in provincial court in Yarmouth, N.S. They were scheduled to return Monday. The charges stem from an alleged encounter two days ago with Geoffrey Jobert, a lobster buyer near Meteghan, N.S. His home was shot at overnight Saturday, an attack he believed was linked to organized criminals involved in purchasing illegally caught lobster. The charges against the Thibaults don’t relate to the shooting, but are instead connected to an incident Wednesday afternoon where, according to RCMP and court records, the two men are accused of approaching Jobert near his home and threatening him. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:08
Salvage efforts remove fishing tug from Stokes Bay waters
The Coast Guard refloated the FV Gary M at the Stokes Bay dock for the second time in less than three months, but this time it was taken to Southampton and put on dry land. The fishing tug was lifted out on Nov. 26, as shown in a Coast Guard photo, and was placed on the government pier in Southampton, at the mouth of the Saugeen River. It was reported partly sunk Nov. 20 in Stokes Bay. It remained in Southampton Thursday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<
Climate change makes winners and losers out of cod and snow crab, says scientist
A team of scientists used modelling to look into the effects of climate change on three Grand Banks fish species. They anticipate that warmer waters could lead to biomass declines for snow crab and yellowtail flounder but gains for Atlantic cod. “That’s one thing that we see when we’re looking at the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and oceans, is that there are winners and losers. So it’s not as though everything is going to be negatively impacted,” said Tyler Eddy, a scientist with Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Species that thrive or struggle in these scenarios will depend on their thermal preferences and changes in a region, he said, adding a specific species might also leave a region to follow their preferred temperature. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:06
Continuation of lobster quality and moult survey very important to southwestern NS industry
Every fall since 2005, in advance of the commercial lobster fishery opening in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 33 and 34, a scientific survey has been conducted in the waters around southwestern Nova Scotia. “The overall objective of the Atlantic Lobster Moult and Quality (ALMQ) Survey is to develop an ongoing monitoring program, based on biological indicators of moult-timing, quality and environmental conditions, to predict the quality of lobsters at the start of the lobster seasons in LFAs 33 and 34,” says Heather Mulock, executive director of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “The data collected is used to establish a framework for adaptation decision-making for the lobster sector, including ensuring better product marketability, live storage, and international shipping valuation.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
‘A lot of anxiety’: N.L. seafood industry will see big hit if Trump follows through with tariffs
President-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat is worrying people in Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry. More than 60 per cent of the province’s seafood is sold in the United States. “There’s certainly a lot of anxiety right now in the seafood industry, and I’m no exception,” said Labrador Gem Seafoods’ president Danny Dumaresque in an interview with The Telegram on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Trump said in a social media post Monday night that on his first day in office, he would impose the tariffs until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs such as fentanyl from entering the U.S. “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
And they’re off! The 2024-25 lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia opens with Dumping Day
Following a one-day weather delay, the six-month commercial lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and along the province’s south shore opened on the morning of Nov. 26 with light winds to send off the crews. Referred to as Dumping Day, here are some photos from parts of Yarmouth County as boats left their wharfs and harbours in LFA 34 to head to the fishing grounds. The season started at 5 a.m., which is an hour earlier than normal, to capitalize on the lighter winds. Lots of photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:06
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ H&H Lobster Boat, 550HP John Deere Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 27 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:02
Dumping day begins in southwestern Nova Scotia with calm conditions
Dumping day began with much fanfare in southwestern Nova Scotia early Tuesday morning. Fireworks signaled the start of the commercial lobster season in Sambro, with loved ones waving goodbye from the wharf where crowds gathered to see the fishers off. “It’s an exciting morning, we always all come down and watch the fireworks, as they go out, it’s a pretty big day for everybody,” said Briana Beaver, whose partner is a fisher. Dumping day for lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 is typically the final Monday of November, but there was a one-day delay this year due to rough weather. While conditions were calm Tuesday, boats that work in LFA 34, which extends from Shelburne County around the southwest coast of the province, were allowed to leave a bit earlier at 5 a.m. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:30
Shot fired into lobster buyer’s home as southwest N.S. season opens
Commercial fishermen set to start the lucrative lobster fishery in southwest Nova Scotia on Tuesday morning are boycotting buyers alleged to be profiteering off the unlicensed summer fishery in St. Mary’s Bay. On Saturday night, one of the buyers those fishermen in lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 have turned to have a shot fired through his home. On Sunday morning, Geoffrey Jobert, owner of Lobster Hub Inc. in Meteghan, went downstairs in his Clare County home and found a series of holes passing through his garage door, kitchen, dining room and living room. He found a round lodged in his hardwood rocking chair. “It was stormy the night before and we didn’t hear the shot,” said Jobert. On the road outside, he said, he found a spent shell casing. While there was no message left, Jobert said he knows why he’s being threatened. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
Going after the big fish: New union president vows to take on whoever stands in the way of Newfoundland and Labrador fishery
Vibes of positive energy permeated FFAW-Unifor’s recent annual convention in Gander, and the union’s new president hopes to carry that momentum forward into what she envisions will be a new era for the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Dwan Street is the first woman to ever hold the presidency of the union that represents the province’s inshore fish harvesters and plant workers, and she’s ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work now that the convention celebration is over. She’s not interested in discrediting any past executives, but Street said it’s clear there needs to be fresh, new approaches to helping make life better for harvesters and plant workers. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
Nova Scotia Lobster Season Faces Wind Delays Again
Weather conditions push back the much-anticipated opening day for the region’s commercial lobster fishery Strong winds have once again delayed the opening of the commercial lobster season along the south shore of Nova Scotia. Scheduled to commence on Monday, November 25, the season’s launch has been postponed due to weather conditions not cooperating with the fishermen’s plans. The forecast continues to show gale force winds, prompting industry officials to eye Tuesday, November 26, as the likely new opening day. This pattern of weather-related delays is nothing new for lobster fishers who have seen the impact of harsh conditions on their opening days for years. The season is set by regulation to start on the last Monday of November, but as was the case this year, it frequently doesn’t go according to plan. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
Past lobster season opener hits and misses in southwestern Nova Scotia
The majority of time if the scheduled opening day of the lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia doesn’t go according to plan, it’s because the weather and safety concerns have forced a postponement. The lobster season is always slated to open the last Monday of November. Strong winds are preventing that once again from happening on Monday, Nov. 25 for the start of the 2024-25 season. Tuesday, Nov. 26, has been identified as the more favourable option with industry weather calls happening the morning of Monday, Nov. 25 in LFAs 34 and 33 to confirm the season opening. While weather is always the culprit for a season opening delay, through time there have been other issues that have also had impacts on season starts. Here’s a look back at past season openers. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:57
Newfoundland and Labrador recorded its highest lobster landings ever this past season
And so, this past spring, when I was hearing so much about the abundance of lobsters in our waters, I wanted to find out what was going on. I called around to several harvesters in various parts of the province to find out about their catch rates. The thing is, when lobsters are plentiful, lobster fishermen can be a tight-lipped bunch. I knew after a few phone calls, it would be hard to get anyone to go on camera for a Land & Sea show to brag about their bounty. And that was confirmed for me by Fortune Bay fisherman Alfred Fitzpatrick, who fishes out of Garnish on the Burin Peninsula. “Fellows will tell you they poached a moose before they tell you they caught a lobster. If you hauled 200 pots and you got 10 lobsters, and your brother asked you, you’d say, ‘Boy, I got five,'” explained Fitzpatrick. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:14
Nova Scotia: Safety Top Priority as Lobster Season Begins
With the lobster season about to start, fishing crews in southwestern Nova Scotia are reminded to make safety a top priority. Dumping Day, as the first day of the season is known, will see thousands of lobster traps dumped along the south and western shores in lobster fishing areas 33 and 34. The start in both areas is weather dependent but is expected to be Monday, November 25. The Province urges fishers to take the time and necessary steps to stay safe. Fishing crews preparing to head out each day should: monitor the weather, assess their boats, check all vessel safety equipment to ensure it is inspected and accessible, prepare for emergencies. Occupational health and safety laws require all crew members to wear a life jacket or other personal flotation device. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:06
Two Dominican nationals sentenced for smuggling endangered juvenile eels from Puerto Rico
On Nov. 14, U.S. District Court Judge Aida M. Delgado-Colón sentenced Simón De la Cruz Paredes, 56, to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On Thursday, Saúl Enrique José De la Cruz, 39, received the same sentence in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Court documents revealed the pair spent months harvesting the juvenile eels in rivers near Levittown, Puerto Rico. The eels were kept alive using specialized oxygenation equipment while the defendants prepared a boat for the trip back to the Dominican Republic. On Feb. 21, they departed Puerto Rico with 30 kilograms of glass eels valued at $132,000, a handgun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the vessel about 40 miles from Puerto Rico after the men refused to comply with an order to stop. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:27
Dumping Day won’t be Monday in LFA 33/34
Dumping Day is delayed once again. It’s the day that hundreds of lobster fishing vessels head out to set their traps, marking the start of the commercial lobster fishery. Port representatives from Lobster Fishing Area 34, which includes Digby around Yarmouth to Shelburne County, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans held a weather call Saturday morning to look at a potential opening for Monday. Due to high winds, the decision was a ‘no go’. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<08:46
TSB says harsh weather, lack of contingency plan contributed to fatal vessel sinking
A fatal fishing vessel incident near Canso, N.S., in 2022 was caused in part by severe weather conditions and a lack of contingency planning for towing disabled vessels, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The board on Thursday released its investigative report into the rescue operation of the F/V Mucktown Girl, which resulted in the death of one of the halibut boat’s crew members and injuries to two Canadian Coast Guard crew. The Mucktown Girl, a 15-metre vessel with five people on board, was around 160 kilometres southeast of Canso when it experienced electrical problems and lost power late in the night on March 11, 2022. The crew contacted the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax and the coast guard ship Jean Goodwill arrived the next morning. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:08
Safety board calls for changes two years after Nova Scotia fisherman’s death at sea
An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry. In an investigation report released Thursday, the Transportation Safety Board says the fishing boat F/V Mucktown Girl was returning to Canso, N.S., with five crew aboard on March 11, 2022, when it was disabled by electrical problems. The captain called for a tow from the coast guard as a storm was closing in. After a seven-hour voyage, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Jean Goodwill reached the drifting boat and attached a 300-metre tow line to the smaller vessel’s bollard. But as the weather turned rough, the bollard broke off six hours into the recovery mission. At that point, the decision was made to let the fishing crew ride out the storm aboard the F/V Mucktown Girl rather than attach another tow line that could damage the boat. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:40
Future Canadian Coast Guard rescue boat hits the water
Quebec shipyard Chantier Naval Forillon (CNF) has floated out a new search and rescue (SAR) boat slated for the Canadian Coast Guard. The future CCGS Cascumpec Bay belongs to a series of 20 vessels built for the coast guard by CNF and Hike Metal Products of Ontario. Named after Cascumpec Bay off Prince Edward Island, the aluminium-hulled SAR boat was built to a design by naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) in compliance to Lloyd’s Register’s Special Service Craft rules. The RAL design is itself an improved variant of the Severn-class lifeboats operated by the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:50
After a dramatic decline, lake trout have recovered in most of Lake Superior
After decades of work, fishery managers say lake trout have fully recovered in most of Lake Superior after the invasive, fish-killing sea lamprey decimated their numbers. The Lake Superior Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which is made up of state, tribal and Canadian natural resource managers, announced the population’s recovery Wednesday. The lake trout population in Lake Superior dropped to dramatically low levels during the mid-1900s due to overfishing and an invasion of sea lampreys, eel-like parasites that suck the blood of their hosts. The parasitic fish spread to the Great Lakes from the Atlantic Ocean, invading Lake Superior by 1938. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:03
Dwan Street says FFAW won’t shy away from a fight as first woman to lead union takes reins
In a fiery introduction speech in front of members of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, new leader Dwan Street said Tuesday her presidency also marks the start of a new era in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery. “One where our voices will become louder. Where we are not afraid to rattle cages. And from what I’m hearing, there are a few rattled right now,” Street said in Gander. Street, originally from Spillar’s Cove on the Bonavista Peninsula, was elected in July as the first woman to lead the union that represents about 15,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador. She replaces former president Greg Pretty and takes the leadership as a time when the FFAW — a force in Newfoundland and Labrador labour, industry and politics for more than five decades — has been accused of not being tough enough in speaking up for members’ interests. High-profile protests earlier this year, for instance, were organized from outside the union’s leadership. Video, more >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:20
‘Dumping Day’ for southwest N.S. lobster season fast approaching
Lobster fishers in southwestern Nova Scotia are ‘gearing’ up their boats. Dumping Day for fishing areas 33 and 34, which stretches from Digby around to Halifax is scheduled for Monday. Dan Fleck with the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association says weather calls with port reps and DFO begin this Friday. “Any winds greater than 26 knots in any direction within the area, DFO will implement a closure for the day. It’s also possible port reps can open or close it, depending on what is safest for all, as safety is most important,” said Fleck. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:04
FFAW says it wants to reclaim its right to strike — but only over snow crab
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is opening the door for seafood harvesters in the province to reclaim their right to strike, but the harvesters’ union is signalling it only wants that right for a single species — a proposal that the fisheries minister says likely isn’t legal. Minister Gerry Byrne announced several proposed changes to fishing industry regulations Monday in what he billed as an effort to advance free enterprise. Those proposals included a green light from government to return to strikes and lockout processes when collective bargaining fails, and a move away from the final-offer selection model implemented in Newfoundland and Labrador two decades ago. Under the current model, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union and Association of Seafood Producers both make offers about pricing and an independent arbitrator chooses between those offers, thus avoiding lockouts and strikes. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:23
Suggested areas for offshore wind around N.S. swell in size
Offshore areas around Nova Scotia recommended for wind energy projects have ballooned in size in the latest version of a report for government, troubling some in the fishing industry who are bracing for disruptions. The draft final report comes from the regional assessment committee, which was tasked by the province and Ottawa two years ago to investigate the potential impacts of offshore wind development on Nova Scotia. It describes eight potential development areas that cover a total of 31,200 square kilometres. The areas stretch from the tip of George’s Bank southwest of Nova Scotia, up the Atlantic coastline and around Cape Breton Island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:14
Court won’t overturn decision to cut quota from N.S., N.B. elver licence holders
Three judges have delivered another blow to beleaguered commercial groups that fish for lucrative juvenile eels in the Maritimes, agreeing with a lower court ruling that upheld Ottawa’s 2022 decision to transfer a portion of their quota to First Nations without compensation. The Federal Court of Appeal heard arguments in the case last week in Halifax, and emerged with a decision that found the federal fisheries minister had “broad discretion” and had used it reasonably. Tien Nguyen, a pioneer in Canada’s fishery for young eels, also known as elvers, said he had hoped the judges would address the “absolute power” of the fisheries minister to make decisions that have enormous financial impact on licence holders. “It’s just like you build up the business, you struggle with it for a number of years, and when it’s finally successful, the government decided to take it away from you,” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:40
