Tag Archives: New Brunswick
More than 100 lobster traps destroyed by weekend storm
More than 100 damaged lobster traps washed ashore after a powerful storm struck the northeast coast of New Brunswick on Friday. The traps were found mangled and destroyed on the beach at Val Comeau and other nearby areas on the Acadian Peninsula, south of Tracadie, on Sunday morning. James MacEachern, a fisherman who lives in Tabusintac on the north side of Miramichi Bay, saw the storm evolving early Friday morning. “When I went out in the morning, it was already rough,” MacEachern said. “Probably four in the morning, [the storm] had already started.” >click to read< 11:47
For Atlantic Canada, Fishing Season Brings Yet More Violence
In the early morning dark of April 12, 2023, violence erupted along a Nova Scotia riverbank after a man engaged a woman and a youth in a heated argument. Soon after, seven people arrived. One allegedly assaulted the man with a pipe while another stood nearby wielding a knife and a taser. When the RCMP later arrested two members of the group a short distance away, the officers found two shotguns and a taser. Conflict around elvers is not new, nor is it the only fishery in Atlantic Canada that’s seen so much turmoil. Whether it’s around elvers, lobsters, or something else, “this will continue to play out, and play out, and play out, until the government deals with the issues on the table.” >click to read< 08:05
RCMP identify New Brunswick lobster fishermen who died after falling into ocean
An uncle and his nephew have been identified as the two lobster fishermen who died on the opening day of their season off the northeastern coast of New Brunswick. RCMP Cpl. Sylvain Bergeron said 58-year-old Eugene Beaudin is the uncle of 33-year-old Normand Gilbert Beaudin. Bergeron said the captain, Robert Beaudin — who is related to the two dead men — survived the mishap Saturday and has spoken to the RCMP about what occurred, but details aren’t being released. >click to read< 11:27
‘It’s so sad’: Acadian Peninsula mourns deaths of 2 lobster fishermen
New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula is in mourning after two local fishermen died Saturday on the first day of the lobster season in the area. The fishermen died after falling overboard in the waters off Miscou Island. Radio-Canada confirmed the names of the two men Sunday. They are 58-year-old Eugene Beaudin and his nephew, 23-year-old Normand Beaudin. Both men are from Miscou. Gilles Hebert, a former fisherman of 22 years, said the deaths will hit the community hard. “It’s so sad,” he said Sunday. “We’re all people who know each other. When we hear that someone drowned, we’re all touched by that.” >click to read< 19:43
Two fishermen are dead after fall from fishing boat off coast of Lamèque, N.B.
Two men have died after falling from a fishing boat off the coast of Lamèque, N.B., on Saturday, police say. According to a release, members of the RCMP were called at about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday to assist Ambulance New Brunswick and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in locating the two men. “A 58-year-old man was located shortly thereafter and died at the scene as a result of his injuries.” RCMP said. “After a short search, a 33-year-old man was also located deceased.” The release from the Northeast District RCMP said a helicopter, two airplanes, three boats, and several local fishing boats assisted in the search and rescue efforts. >click to read<
Two men deceased following search and rescue efforts – RCMP Press release, >click to read<
New Brunswick: 2 fishermen pulled from water after lobster boat capsizes with three onboard
A fisherman who had been reported missing has been located after a lobster boat capsized off the coast off Miscou Island on New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula. Lt.-Cmdr. Len Hickey, public affairs officer at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, said the missing fisherman had been located, but was “unresponsive.” Another fisherman fell overboard, but was recovered shortly after, also “unresponsive.” Hickey wouldn’t comment further on the condition of the two men. A third individual was also on board the boat, but never went overboard. >click to read< 13:02
New Brunswick: Fire significantly damages lobster fishery on Grand Manan
Mayor Bonnie Morse said the Special K Fisheries caught fire early in the day on Monday, adding it appears everyone inside made it out of the fire OK. “Which is obviously the main thing,” she said. “This is a pretty significant fire so they have their hands full up there.” The island is isolated and cannot call on mutual aid to assist in fires or significant events. “We are on our own,” Morse said. Morse said she hasn’t been able to get an update from the fire department yet, adding that crews will likely be there for several more hours. >click to read< 18:09
Licence technicality forces son of a Nova Scotia moonlighter lobster fisherman to move away
Mike Kaiser has fished lobster with his father, Dwayne, since he was little. Like many, he wants to carry on the legacy. On Tuesday, Mike Kaiser will move to Alberta to pick up work. He says he’d rather stay in Nova Scotia around his family, doing what his father did for nearly 50 years. But a policy that’s been around almost as long means Dwayne cannot pass on his licence to his son. He holds one of about 70 “moonlighter” licences granted years ago to part-time fishermen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Those licences die with them. >click to read< 11:09
“The market has collapsed.” With crab season on the line, seafood producers’ association digs in its heels on price
Jeff Loder, executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers said Monday the crab market has softened in the past few weeks, and the group will not negotiate a new price with fishermen. “The market has collapsed. Prices need to reflect that,” he said. Loder said each day the industry is delayed, with fishermen in the Maritimes and Quebec already out on the water, the worse it is for everyone. “Snow crab is not selling. There’s a glut in inventory,” said Loder, speaking for the first time since the provincial price-setting panel set a minimum price of $2.20 Cdn per pound for harvesters, who responded with protests and say they can’t afford to fish for that price. “We need raw material to get those plants going, and to have any chance to compete with our competitors in Atlantic Canada, who are all fishing in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. at $2.25 a pound,” Video, >click to read< 16:00
Cape Breton fishermen say ice was a problem because DFO didn’t follow its own policy
Some Cape Breton fishermen say if the Department of Fisheries and Oceans hadn’t opened the Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab season too early, icebreakers would not have been needed to get boats in and out of Cheticamp harbour. Andrew Bourgeois, president of the Gulf of Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition and a director of the Gulf fleet planning board, said DFO officials usually agree to wait until all the coasts are ice-free, but not this year. “I think if DFO would have followed their protocol, I don’t think there would have been an issue with the ice,” he said. “The protocol says that if there was ice at 20 fathoms or deeper that it shouldn’t open, it wouldn’t open. And they opened it anyways.” >click to read< 13:11
DFO halts baby eel fishery in N.S., N.B for 45 days over escalating conflict
A news release from DFO on Saturday said after extensive monitoring it was determined that unreported removals made up a significant percentage of elver, or baby eel, landings. Fishery officers conducted extensive patrols from March 13 to April 10 to ensure compliance with regulations for the harvesting and sale of elvers, according to the release. The release states an increase in conflicts resulting in violence and threats risks the safety of harvesting and creates a threat to the management and control of the fishery. >click to read< 14:36
Crab Fishermen stay in boats on the north coast
Unsatisfied with the prices offered to them by the mill owners, most of the crab fishermen in 16 areas on the north shore did not go to sea on Saturday when fishing began in their field. 39 owners of 54 fishing licenses in Area 16 feel hurt by the temporary price of $2.25 per pound offered by the mills and accepted by fishermen in other parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec. According to these fishermen, the only people in the province to group around the marketing group are not honoring the price formula that allows processors to get more than $2.25 a pound. According to their representative Jean-René Boucher, all factories in the province, including the six located on the north coast, have been issued with a watchword by the Fishing Industry Association not to accept crabs from area 16. >click to read< 10:38
Starvation price for snow crab fishermen
A week into the snow crab fishing season, processors in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on Friday agreed to a temporary dock price of $2.25/lb to $2.50/lb. “There’s more inventory on the market now than we thought, says Jean-Paul Gagne, Director General of the Quebec Fisheries Industry Association (AQIP). For his part, Marc-Olivier des Îles-de-la-Madeleine’s captain, Marco Turbide, promises to put his cages back this spring. “Expecting a price of only two or three dollars a pound doesn’t give ambition, he comments. It’s not fun. For a heavily indebted fisherman like me, we can’t expect to make a profit in 2023 because of the significant loss from crab last year. If we agree to $4/lb, I’m very I’ll be happy!” >click to read< 11:45
Fisheries Department scrambled to claw back ‘ill-timed’ lobster tweet during Fiona
Some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Others can’t see the hurricane for the lobsters. On Sept. 24, around 9 a.m. Atlantic time, a few hours after Hurricane Fiona had slowed slightly into a post-tropical cyclone and slammed into Nova Scotia, the federal Fisheries Department issued two preplanned posts on Twitter and Facebook. The first urged everyone to avoid the coastline and stay safe. The second warned them off helping themselves to wayward lobsters. “As well, if you find lobsters washed up on the shore after the storm, remember it is illegal to harvest them,” it read. “Simply leave them there.” >click to read< 10:17
‘This injustice must be reversed’: N.B. lobster Class B fisherman, family make plea for rule change
Michel Arseneau’s family would say his relationship with the ocean is a love story. He has been a fisherman for as long as his granddaughter, Maryse Arseneau, can remember. He bought his first lobster fishing licence in 1953. In 1976, his licence was made a Class B by the federal government in an effort to improve sustainability and conservation. It came with strict limits on the number of traps that can be set and the licence cannot be transferred or sold. He isn’t the only one fighting against the decades-old policy. A law firm, Cox and Palmer, is representing the remaining 70 Class B fishers in the Maritimes, who have taken the federal government to court. >click to read< 08:36
Right whale found entangled in Canadian lobster fishing gear in U.S. waters
A right whale found entangled in lobster fishing gear in waters off the southern United States was disentangled by U.S. marine mammal rescue responders last weekend. An investigation by U.S. officials and Fisheries and Oceans Canada has determined the gear was from Lobster Fishing Area 33 in Southern Nova Scotia, according to a DFO release. The adult whale is identified officially as North Atlantic right whale 1218 and known as Argo. According to the release, it is the first entanglement connected to Canada’s lobster fishery in five years. The release said the harvester reported the lost gear to DFO. >click to read< 17:58
Sea vomit: Why DFO is worried about an invasive species with a disgusting name
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is asking fishermen to keep an eye out for an invasive species in the Bay of Fundy, one that has an unforgettable nickname. Pancake batter tunicate, more commonly known by its colloquial name sea vomit, has been spotted on the east coast of North America since 1982. The species is a creamy white colour, is slimy to the touch and is native to the ocean around Japan. It’s only been confirmed north of the U.S. border since 2013, but there is some evidence the invasive species is growing more prevalent in New Brunswick waters. >click to read< 09:06
Tagging along on the secret life of the lobster – tagging them to find out where they go
To the average consumer, a lobster is just a meal sitting on a plate waiting to be eaten. Most have no idea that that meal has wandered hundreds of kilometres on the ocean floor before winding up on the menu. But researchers who have been tagging the crustaceans know the average lobster in the Bay of Fundy can crisscross that bay several times over the course of a year. A lobster caught on Grand Manan can easily make its way to Nova Scotia in a month or two. Many go hundreds of kilometers further. “Some of them go south to George’s bank, some of them go over to Maine, and some of them go up the bay,” said Heather Koopman, Photos, Video, >click to read< 08:52
PFD’s: New Brunswick to make personal flotation devices mandatory for commercial fishing industry
The New Brunswick government has introduced legislation to make personal flotation devices or life jackets mandatory for the commercial fishing industry, answering a recommendation issued after two fishermen drowned in 2016. There is no requirement for fishers to wear life jackets, or PFDs, under current legislation, something the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said should change given the frequency of drowning in the industry. Fishing vessels are not considered workplaces under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, leaving WorkSafeNB unable to enforce safety standards. >click to read< 21:43
New Brunswick: Only 2% of lobster traps scattered by Fiona retrieved so far
The massive cleanup and recovery operation to find the thousands of traps lost during post-tropical storm Fiona in September has only turned up a small number so far. The Maritime Fishermen’s Union is leading the cleanup taking place in LFA 25, a lobster fishing zone that takes in a good portion of the Northumberland Strait. The union told Radio-Canada that 1,000 traps have been found so far. Video, >click to read< 09:47
New Brunswick: New harbour proposed to tackle vessel traffic on Grand Manan
A new harbour is being designed near Woodwards Cove on Grand Manan to manage the island’s growing vessel traffic. The proposed new harbour, which will aim to accommodate 100 vessels, will have a new marginal wharf and floating wharves, as well as a launching and haul-out facility, according to Brandon Giordani, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada. Mayor Bonnie Morse said the harbour authority and the harbour’s users have been talking about the overcrowding for “more than 10 to 15 years now.” With the passage of time, the size of vessels has also increased too. “It’s become more apparent that we need something,” she said. >click to read< 09:39
Party time! N.B. village sends off lobster boats in style
The sky above Alma, N.B. was lit up with fireworks early Friday morning. Hundreds of people gathered on the wharf at 1:00 a.m. to wish lobster fishermen a safe voyage and to send them off in style. Around a dozen boats left filled with traps and men heading to sea as a bagpiper played during the impressive fireworks display. Terry Rossiter has been a lobster fisherman since 1979. “We’ll start tonight and they’ll [fishermen] put at least 24 hours in before they go to sleep, maybe 36. It’s a lot of time, a lot of hard work,” said Rossiter. The fleet launch began around 11:30 p.m. Thursday with live music, lobster rolls, and of course Alma’s world-famous sticky buns. Party on! >click to read< 08:17
Atlantic Canada: Lobster fishery hoping for federal $$ to recover gear lost to Fiona
A plan is in the works to try to retrieve potentially thousands of lobster traps that were lost during post-tropical storm Fiona nearly two weeks ago. The storm, which battered Atlantic Canada with high winds and storm surges, resulted in tens of thousands of traps being damaged and lost in the Northumberland Strait, where fishermen in southeastern New Brunswick and northwestern Prince Edward Island are currently fishing. Luc LeBlanc, a fisheries adviser with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union, said while many traps have been recovered since the storm, “a few thousand” are still missing, and a plan is being worked out to find them and bring them ashore once the lobster season ends on Oct. 12. >click to read< 10:05
After Fiona’s wrath, Atlantic fishing communities look to rebuild livelihoods
All week, fishermen across Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were left to reckon with the damage left in Fiona’s wake, and to the region’s industry, which exports more than $4.5-billion worth of seafood each year. But as officials plan for the future, they face two competing priorities: the need to rebuild fast to be ready for the coming fishing season and the need to rethink infrastructure entirely in the face of climate change – a costlier, and potentially slower, approach. “PEI’s a mess. Newfoundland’s a mess. Nova Scotia’s a mess. And it’s all the same people who are fixing them,” said Leonard LeBlanc, President of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition >click to read< 10:03
With thousands of traps lost to Fiona, N.B. lobster fishermen ask for extended season
The fishing season for Zone 25, which includes fishermen along the Northumberland Strait in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, began on Aug. 9 and was scheduled to end on Oct. 12, said Luc LeBlanc, an advisor with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. However, with early reports those fishermen may have lost about half of all of their lobster traps, LeBlanc said the plan is to ask the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the season to be extended until at least Oct. 15. LeBlanc said there are 388 lobster fishermen in Zone 25, with each using 250 traps at a time. That means around 42,000 traps are unaccounted for. >click to read< 07:35
Lobster prices up slightly 3 weeks after protest
Lobster prices have rebounded a bit as the fishing season nears the halfway point in the Northumberland Strait area. Fishermen are now getting about $6/pound for their catches, said Luc LeBlanc of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. That’s up from about $4.50 a few weeks ago, when hundreds of fishermen from along the east coast of New Brunswick protested in Shediac. Some of them said they would not be going out fishing because it would cost them more than they would get paid to do so. Most are fishing, however, because they need the cash flow. >click to read< 07:49
RCMP divers take over search for teen who fell overboard from fishing boat
RCMP divers have begun looking for Justin Landry, the 15-year-old boy who fell out of a fishing boat off Pointe-Sapin on Monday. On Tuesday afternoon RCMP said Landry is considered a missing person and police are in contact with his family. The RCMP took over the search after the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax said the rescue mission was unsuccessful. On Monday, a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter, two Canadian Coast Guard boats, four conservation boats and one Transport Canada airplane were used in the search. About 20 fishermen also helped in the search. >click to read< 15:26
Planes can’t find entangled whale in search Wednesday
Planes and boats searched the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Wednesday, looking for a young North Atlantic right whale entangled in rope and other gear. An airplane saw the calf of a right whale known as 3720 last weekend, 48 nautical miles east of Shippagan, trailing fishing rope and buoys. The Department of Fisheries said at the time that it wasn’t known how long the yearling had been entangled. Whale expert Philip Hamilton of the New England Aquarium said lots of challenges come with finding a whale such as this one, which had previously last been spotted in March off Provincetown, Mass. (Where is the photo of the calf wrapped in fishing gear the plane didn’t take?!!) >click to read< 12:23
Entangled North Atlantic Right Whale spotted off Shippagan, N.B.
The federal Fisheries Department is on the lookout for an entangled North Atlantic Right Whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Shippagan, N.B. The department says the whale was observed on Saturday by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada aircraft. The whale, which has been identified as the 2021 calf of the whale known as 3720, was spotted about 48 nautical miles east of Shippagan. Officials said they do not know the type of gear that the whale is entangled in, or where it came from. >click to read< 08:14
TAC goes from 12,000 to10,000 tonnes – Reduction to herring quota will impact Maritimes, Quebec
The quota for major parts of the herring fishery in the Maritimes and Quebec is being reduced in an effort to increase the stock. The total allowable catch for herring in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fishing zone, which includes parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and all of Prince Edward Island, is being cut from 12,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes. The fall herring stock in the area remains in the “cautious zone,” according to a statement released Friday by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “The number of spawning adults is declining, and recruitment is at the lowest level ever observed,” DFO said. >click to read< 10:17
