Tag Archives: P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association
Lennox Island, DFO strike deal for 2023 moderate livelihood lobster fishery off P.E.I.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says it has struck a deal with Lennox Island First Nation for a treaty-protected lobster fishery off P.E.I.’s North Shore for the 2023 spring season. In a statement to CBC News, DFO says the one-year interim understanding was reached on Wednesday. The band had said its boats would begin to set about 1,000 lobster traps on Saturday with or without DFO approval. “The Government of Canada is committed to advancing First Nations’ Supreme Court-affirmed treaty right to fish,” DFO officials said in a statement sent to CBC News on Friday. “Designated community members are authorized to fish up to 1,000 traps total in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 24 during the spring 2023 commercial lobster season … >click to read< 15:40
Prince Edward Island: Uncertainty looms over spring lobster fishing season
During a media briefing Tuesday night, Jamie Fox, Minister of Fisheries and Communities said clarity is needed on the future of the Spring fishing season from the federal government. “There is no definitive position, no consensus from any sector in this industry, or any region for that matter, as to what the best answer is. We have heard a variety of opinions from amongst fishers, from buyers, from processors – from all aspects of the sector,” King said during the briefing. “There is no consensus. Some want to go and are ready to go. Some don’t want to go. Some want to have a delay and many don’t know what to think.” The P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association, a key voice for the industry on P.E.I., has not issued a clear call whether or not they would like to see a fishing season proceed, or whether it should be delayed. >click to read< 09:23
P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association surveying members on when, if spring lobster season should proceed – On Wednesday, the PEIFA posted a notice on its website saying a survey was coming by the end of the day. >click to read< 21:03
P.E.I. fishermen adjust to newly imposed gear markings
The P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association said it’s receiving calls from local fishermen asking for clarification over the new gear markings imposed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Like any new management measure, Griffin said, it will take time to get used to. “Prior to this there were no gear markings,” she said. “It’s a brand new … management measure in place, so there’s always a little bit confusion when a new management measure comes in,” Griffin said. To reflect the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act, fixed gear fishermen on P.E.I. will now be required to have specially-coloured fishing gear rope. One piece to represent the Gulf region, one to represent the species they are fishing and one to represent the location of their trap. >click to read< 11:48
UPDATE: Northern Pulp pipeline could harm herring spawning beds, say P.E.I. fishermen
A marine biologist working with the Island’s fisheries association says a proposed effluent pipeline in Pictou, N.S. could have negative impacts on already threatened fish and marine habitats in the Northumberland Strait. Speaking before the P.E.I. legislature’s standing committee on agriculture and fisheries on Friday, Melanie Giffin, who works with the P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association, said key Atlantic herring habitats in the Northumberland Strait could be threatened by the proposed Northern Pulp pipeline in Pictou Harbour. >click to read<11:47
P.E.I. Lobster season delayed because of ice conditions, delay surprises P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association
It was the right call to delay the lobster season because some harbours on the Island’s north and south shores are still impassable with ice, says the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association. Fisheries and Oceans Canada sent out the notice Thursday afternoon that fishermen won’t be setting and pulling traps next Thursday, as initially planned, because of ice conditions in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Read the rest here Lobster season delay surprises P.E.I. fishermen Read the rest here 13:14
Mike McGeoghegan steps down as PEIFA president
After a five-year term of successive re-elections, Mike McGeoghegan has stepped down as president of the largest fishing organization in the province. The Pinette-based fisherman has retired from the industry and can no longer remain in his capacity. Read the rest here 08:34
Harper concerned by slumping lobster prices
Prime Minister Stephen Harper urged fishermen and seafood processors in the Maritimes to resolve a dispute over slumping lobster prices as some lobster fishermen headed back to work Tuesday after days of protests. “Obviously, we are concerned by what we’re seeing in the marketplace,” Harper said after an announcement in Summerside, P.E.I. Michael McGeoghegan of the P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association said the protest has highlighted the problematic pricing structure for consumers who buy lobster in grocery stores. “We’ve always known that amongst fishermen but the general public hasn’t known that,” he said. continued
