Tag Archives: Dan Fleck of the Brazil Rock Lobster Association
Potential move to electric lobster fishing boats hauls in opposing opinions
Lobster fishing captain Andrew Arbuckle wants to buy an electric boat. One problem, they don’t exist yet. The boat building industry is on the cusp of new electric options. Companies are inventing new designs and investing in unique ideas. But adoption could be slow, since the biggest group of customers, fishing crews in Southwest Nova Scotia, generally reject the idea. Aboard a prototype diesel-electric hybrid fishing boat, Sue Molloy, CEO of Glas Ocean Electric, lifts a floor panel from the deck. She points to a metal driveshaft that runs along the centreline of the boat, disappearing towards the propeller. Not everyone agrees that electric boats are the future. Fishing crews in the Pubnico area agreed with Fleck’s assessment. “It’s wishful thinking,” said Reynold d’Entremont. “It ain’t gonna work.” Photos, >>click to read<< 11:50,
Video – Electric fishing boats are coming but many captains still skeptical, >>click to watch<<
Last southwestern N.S. lobster season one for the record books: But not in a good way
From delayed season starts to low shore prices, foul weather and an out-of-control wildfire as a grand finale, the 2022-23 season in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 has been dubbed the worst season in more than 20 years. The LFA 34 fishery opened on Dec 5, 2022, after a one-week delay to the season start due to weather. The LFA 33 fishery opened on Nov. 29, 2022, after a one-day delay. Both seasons are always scheduled to start on the last Monday of November. The season opened with a $7 shore price, compared to the record-setting opening shore price of $10 to $11 a pound in 2021. The shore price peaked at $13.50 during the slowest part of the season in mid-winter, closing at $8.30 at season’s end on May 31. Photos, >>click to read<< 08:47
Nova Scotia government retreats on plan to fast-track wind farms in coastal bays
“We’re pausing any consideration of waters within provincial jurisdiction until the framework for jointly managed offshore areas is in place,” Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton said in a statement issued Wednesday. The decision to focus first on jointly managed waters — in essence a go-slower approach — capped several months of lobbying by fisheries groups concerned that wind farms inside bays would displace already crowded fishing grounds. “I would say that the fishing industry is very, very pleased that the province has listened to the many, many voices both within our industry and other industries,” said Ginny Boudreau, executive director of the Guysborough County Inshore Fishermen’s Association. >>click to read<< 09:57
