Tag Archives: Prince Edward Island
P.E.I. snow crab fishers to start 2025 season grappling with reduced quota, trade concerns
Snow crab fishers on Prince Edward Island are preparing to start their fishing season next week facing a 33 per cent reduction in the amount they’re allowed to catch. The reduction is based on recommendations from scientists with the federal Department of Oceans and Fisheries, who have expressed concerns about the health of snow crab stocks. The stocks tend to rise and fall on a 10-year cycle, and the crab population is now at a below-average mark. “We’re kind of on a downhill swing here,” said Carter Hutt, president of the P.E.I. Snow Crab Association. The quota reduction for the 2025 fishing season comes as P.E.I.’s seafood industries are wondering about the impacts of U.S., and Chinese tariffs on one of the province’s major exports. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:01
Atlantic lobster industry could be hurt by tariffs from China, U.S.
Atlantic Canada’s $2.9-billion lobster industry could be impacted by tariffs imposed by the United States and China, an industry spokesperson said Tuesday. “At the moment we really don’t know how much impact there will be,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Halifax-based Canadian Lobster Council. China imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood March 20, and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to begin tariffs on Canadian products on April 2. Tariffs on Atlantic Canada’s lucrative lobster fishery were among the topics of discussion at the Maritime Fishermen’s Union annual convention, held in Moncton Monday and Tuesday. Irvine said Atlantic Canada exports approximately $2.9 billion worth of lobster annually, with 67 per cent going to the United States and 20 per cent going to China. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:34
Fishing industry watches tariff battle, counting the days till spring seasons
Like everyone, Nova Scotia’s fishing industry has been trying to parse what U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs will mean for them. “It’s too early to know yet,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada. There is little lobster coming ashore right now, which buys the industry time to hope for a resolution that sees the 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products heading south dropped. Fishing will pick up later this month off southwest Nova Scotia as waters warm, and then in April seasons will start opening from Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia, with massive quantities of crustaceans coming over wharves throughout the region by May 1. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
P.E.I. snow crab fishery faces deep cuts in catches as U.S. tariffs loom
P.E.I. snow crab fishers are facing a big cut in how much they can catch in 2025, with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans recommending a 33 per cent reduction in their quota in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. That number is based on concerns about the health of the crab population and comes as the threat of a U.S. tariff looms over the industry. “It kind of hits you hard because it’s a substantial amount of crab to lose and it’s a substantial income to lose,” said Alden Gaudet, who fishes snow crab out of Tignish Run and is vice-president of the P.E.I. Snow Crab Association. “I believe we’ll be dropping about 20,000 pounds per licence this year, and I believe we dropped 21,000 pounds per P.E.I. licence last year,” Gaudet said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:05
Jamie Sarkonak: Feds’ racial politics have plunged Canadian fisheries into chaos
There are Indigenous fishers, and there are non-Indigenous fishers — and every year, the federal government takes more and more away from one to give to the other, citing reconciliation and an ever-expanding notion of Indigenous rights. Up until last week, the 2025 edition of this game of racial redistribution involved the Liberal government planning to take away between 75 and 90 per cent of the commercial American eel quota and giving 50 per cent to First Nations in Atlantic Canada, with another 27 per cent going to employees of those who already have eel licences. Eel fishers were only saved by a last-minute cancellation of the changes on Thursday, when Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier came to her senses and called it off. Indeed, in 2021, commercial crab fishers in one fishing zone of British Columbia had half of their trapping allocation taken by the government and redistributed to Indigenous people to assist them in earning a “moderate livelihood.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
New memorial in southeastern P.E.I. community honours fishers who were taken by the sea
Residents of Murray Harbour say a new monument will serve as a tribute to people from the community who lost their lives at sea, and an important reminder of the dangers for those who continue to take the risk of going out on the water. The southeastern P.E.I. community recently took possession of the 1,200-pound memorial that now sits at the harbour, overlooking the boats that will come and go during the busy fishing seasons. “There’s been a lot of people over the years, unfortunately, [who] never came home from the sea. It was time that we made a memorial, something to remember those people by,” said Gary MacKay, Murray Harbour’s deputy mayor. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
Gear tampering becoming more frequent in Gulf region, says DFO — and that means more ghost gear
Gear tampering in the Gulf of St. Lawrence region off P.E.I. is more common than it used to be, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the environmental cost can be high. “Gear tampering is any action that interferes or disrupts a legal fishery,” said Matthew MacEwen, the detachment supervisor in Charlottetown for Conservation Protection with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “Examples of this could be tampering with traps, nets or lines… causing damage to that fishing gear that renders them incapable of doing their job fishing.” MacEwen said it could include cutting the ropes off traps, making them unretrievable, or bringing traps up from the waters and destroying the webbing and mesh that keep lobsters inside once they enter the traps. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:26
People who fish off P.E.I. have mixed reaction to new parental leave benefits
Some lobster fishing captains on Prince Edward Island say they think there will be little interest in new parental leave benefits just announced by the federal government. On Thursday, Ottawa announced maternity and parental benefits for people licensed to fish in Atlantic Canada, saying that could encourage the next generation of harvesters to join the fishing industry and provide more flexibility to those with new families. “I don’t think there’ll be a lot of uptake on it,” said lobster captain Charlie McGeoghegan, who fishes out of Pinette on P.E.I.’s south shore. “I haven’t heard anybody even ask for it, so I’m not sure where this came from.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:26
MLA calls for fishing industry to have mandatory WCB insurance coverage
After a North Lake lobster fisher was killed this summer, Green MLA Peter Bevan-Baker is pushing for more to be done to compensate injured workers in the P.E.I. fishing industry. “The nature of the job is such that it’s an inherently very, very dangerous situation,” he said Thursday. “I think there’s a limit to how much can be done. I think absolutely we should be doing everything we can to make sure that conditions onboard boats are as safe as they possibly can be.” But when safety procedures don’t prevent injuries or deaths, fishery workers don’t have the same access to compensation as employees in other sectors, he said. That’s because paying premiums into the Workers Compensation Board (WBC) insurance system is optional for fishing industry employers. Bevan-Baker is calling on the provincial government to change that and make coverage mandatory. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:12
New guidelines for boat gear in place after June death of lobster fisherman
New guidelines have been released to help protect P.E.I. fishing crews after a man was killed by a boom on a North Lake lobster boat this past June. Occupational health and safety officials spent months looking into the incident and hope their review will prevent further accidents. The investigation is now complete, but officials have not said whether there will be charges or fines related to the death. The man was underneath a boom being used to hoist out lobster traps when it suddenly lowered and struck him in the head and shoulder. In July, the Workers Compensation Board released a hazard alert highlighting the possible risks of using booms on lobster boats. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:38
Canada Expands Seal Harvest Licences in NB, PEI
Seal harvesting is an important and valuable activity for many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. In Canada, it is managed in a sustainable, well-regulated, and humane way that supports Canada’s Indigenous, rural, remote, and coastal communities. In response to growing interest in participating in the seal harvest, today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that personal use seal licences will be available to harvesters in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The focus of this harvest is harp and grey seals which DFO assesses to be in the healthy zone of the Department’s precautionary approach framework. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:43
Anxiety, depression are top issues faced by people who make their living on the sea
The number of people working in fisheries and aquaculture who are calling a dedicated industry counselling service on Prince Edward Island has more than doubled over the last fiscal year. From May 2022 to May 2023, the service counselled 24 people. That jumped to 64 people in the 2023-24 fiscal year. “The stigma for reaching out [about] mental health, I think that’s decreasing in our society generally. So it becomes more socially acceptable and people give themselves permission to reach out,” said social worker Frank Bulger. The program has been offered since 2019 by Frank Bulger Personal and Family Counselling, on behalf of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association and the P.E.I. Aquaculture Alliance. Bulger administers the program, along with a counsellor in Summerside and one who works remotely from Alberta. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
Tuna selling at a higher price for some local fishermen
This year’s tuna season has been described as successful by some eastern PEI fishers. Allen Fay fishes out of North Lake. “There are lots of fish around,” he said. “They’re fetching a much better price than earlier years.” Fisherman Lucas Lesperance has had a similar season. “They’re definitely up in prices. It’s the same old story; supply and demand,” said Mr Lesperance. Fishing out of Naufrage, he has caught five tuna so far, the biggest of which being 490 lbs. “This year we were a little further offshore (to start), they were hanging around deeper waters but have moved closer with the bait,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:35

‘More fat, more flavour’: Why PEI tuna is selling at its highest price in decades
“We’re seeing prices range from $10 or $11 on the low side to $40, $50, $60 a pound on the high side. So these are higher prices than we’ve seen, probably since the early 90s,” said Jason Tompkins, owner of TNT Tuna in North Lake, which buys and exports about three-quarters of Canada’s bluefin tuna quota. Tompkins says in a normal season, just “one or two” of the roughly 1,500 tuna caught off the northeast coast of P.E.I. will earn the boat more than $10,000, after being sold on high-end markets around North America, Europe and Japan. So far this year? photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Fishers excited as opening of fall lobster season arrives
As the fall lobster season approaches, fishers in LFA 25 are looking forward to hitting the waves. “It’s always a challenge,” said Kristian Bernard, who fishes out of Skinners Pond. “You’ve always got to try and do your best at what you can catch, and it’s nice to be on the water.” This year, fishers will be starting earlier than what was originally planned, something that hasn’t received much complaint. “Everybody was really pushing for earlier because of bad weather at the end of the season,” said Travis Shea, who also fishes out of Skinners Pond. “Due to weather, the last few seasons, we’ve all been pushed back a few days extra, so we’re trying to get a bit of leeway.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
P.E.I. lobster harvesters seeing low prices despite strong catches
With only a few weeks left in lobster season on Prince Edward Island, fishers are seeing lower prices. New London, P.E.I., lobster harvester Peter Pidgeon said harvesters were hearing about the big prices in Nova Scotia and getting excited for the season. He said prices are currently sitting a little lower. “This year it’s a little lower. We’re at $6.25 a pound and $6.50 a pound right now.” Nat Richard, the executive director of the Lobster Processors Association, said the association is in the midst of the largest catch year ever in Canada. “The cost to hold inventory just went through the roof. That’s always a concern when you have an imbalance in terms of the supply and demand picture and that’s very much what we are dealing with this year,” he said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:32

P.E.I. lobster fishers frustrated by low prices, say they’re the same as 18 years ago
There are just a few weeks left in the spring lobster season on Prince Edward Island, and while catches in many areas have been good, Island fishers are again frustrated by the prices they are being paid on the wharf. At North Lake, P.E.I., Jamie Bruce said fishers are getting $6.50 a pound up to $7, and market prices are the same. Bruce said that’s the same price lobsters were fetching 18 years ago. “I went back in my records, and I keep a record every year. Actually, I had a guy called me today. He said he thinks in 1997 we even saw these prices,” Bruce said. “So I went back as far as 2006 and we were very similar to what we are then, with the major difference. Everything else is either doubled or tripled in price. Bait. Fuel. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:15
Ropeless gear program will keep P.E.I. snow crab harvester on water despite whale sightings
Alden Gaudet fishes snow crab out of Tignish Run and is close to reaching his quota for the season. The first sighting of a right whale in Canadian waters in 2024 came last Friday. A whale that has been dubbed Shelagh was seen northeast of New Brunswick and northwest of the Magdalen Islands. After that led to a partial closure of fishing grounds near his traps, Gaudet reached out to CanFish, a free gear-lending program based in Halifax that’s operated by the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:36
Staggered lobster starts don’t suit all fishers
For the second straight year, PEI’s north and south side lobster zones had their setting days on different dates, but not everyone agrees with it. David Sansom, port manager at Red Head Harbour in Morell, said he isn’t a fan of not starting on the same day. However, he said data shows the offshore area Morell fishes, between Naufrage and Covehead harbours, has been one of the coldest on the Island in recent years, which affects lobster movement. Starting dates are influenced by many factors, including temperature on the bottom, weather and the tides. The north side had April 29 as their tentative starting date but several days of strong north winds delayed their season by almost a week until this past Sunday. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:10
Lobster season opens in southeastern P.E.I. on cold but ‘beautiful’ day
The spring lobster fishery opened in the southeastern part of Prince Edward Island a day late on Saturday, while the northern section that was scheduled to open on Monday will be delayed at least a day. Jeff Bell and other fishers in the 26A lobster fishing area of Murray Harbour loaded their boats and headed into the Northumberland Strait before 6 a.m. to set their traps. Bell, in his 43rd year as the captain of his own boat, said it was cold-there was frost on his boat- but still “beautiful out there.” “Couldn’t ask for a better day,” Bell said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29,
P.E.I.’s snow crab season wrapping up as right whale protection begins
An early start to the season is paying off for many P.E.I. snow crab fishers, with good catches and better prices than last year. An added bonus: for the second straight year, most will have caught their quota before endangered North Atlantic right whales move into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, prompting protective measures to prevent entanglement in fishing gear. Alden Gaudet said fishers are much better prepared this year than they were two years ago in case of closures due to right whales. “This year, we’ve lobbied to be able to immediately remove our buoys from these traps and use this ropeless, on-demand [system, without having to wait 48 hours to reset back in these areas. So it will make things a lot easier,” he said. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
P.E.I. harbours face challenges with approach of lobster season
The spring lobster season on Prince Edward Island is just a few weeks away, but some harbours are facing challenges as Island fishermen prepare to head out and set their traps. At Malpeque Harbour, windy weather has slowed down efforts to clear the winding channel that they will take on setting day. “They’ve had a real hard time this year due to weather,” said fisherman Timothy Wall, who has been fishing for 30 years, following the occupation of his father and grandfather. “They’ve been on the site for two weeks already, and they can’t even get to the outside of the harbour, just the weather hasn’t been fit. Moving the harbour deeper into Malpeque Bay, where there is less moving sand, could be an option, said Wall, but there are no certain answers. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:12

High lobster prices could be a sign of things to come for P.E.I.’s spring fishery
The cost of the crustaceans in most stores is higher than normal for this time of year, running anywhere from $20 to $26 per pound. Most of the lobster caught last year and stored on the Island has already been sold, and fewer boats take part in the winter fishing season in nearby New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board, said there are only 2,500 boats on the water in Canada right now, compared to 7,000-plus during the spring season. “The boat prices are anywhere from $16.50 to $17.25 — [that’s] what we’re hearing.” more, >>click to read<< 06:50
P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association calls for more timely, better monitoring in wake of federal report
Executive director Ian MacPherson said a recent report from the federal environment commissioner underlined the importance of doing more, and better science, especially as the crucial herring and mackerel fisheries remain closed to Island fishers. “Herring and mackerel are the big ones here on Prince Edward Island, important fisheries to us, and we’d like to get them reopened — and we realize these are science-based decisions, but you need accurate and timely information,” MacPherson said. >>click to read<< 06:38

Fishermen in Maine lobbied to keep wind farms out of crucial fishing grounds. Will it happen in N.S.?
A no-compromise lobbying campaign by Maine lobster harvesters has helped keep wind farms out of a crucial lobster fishing area in the Gulf of Maine. And that has some fishermen in Nova Scotia casting an envious eye south of the border. “I’m pleased to see that happen in Maine. We’d like to see the same sort of diligence taken in Nova Scotia,” said Tommy Amirault, a fisherman from Pubnico and president of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “Maine obviously has concerns. It would be nice to see both provincial and federal governments take our concerns into practice,” Amirault said. “We didn’t mince words that we opposed offshore wind anywhere in the Gulf of Maine. It’s one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. And we really didn’t think that this is the place to solve the renewable energy crisis,” said McCarron. In Nova Scotia, the process has just begun. He said it’s no surprise fishermen have concerns about where it happens. >>click to read<< 06:57
P.E.I. company excited by new report promoting electric lobster boats
AKA Energy Systems is hoping to launch its own all-electric lobster boat within the next year, following up on its work with hybrid vessels. “We got our first hybrid boat out in the summer, so that’s something that we’ve been working on for a couple of years,” said Jason Aspin, AKA’s CEO. The Oceans North report said the key to jumpstarting the shift is for governments to set a “market signal” by setting clear targets for emission reductions, as has occurred in the motor vehicle sector. The study calls for Ottawa to include commercial fisheries in its marine climate action plan and set the goal of having “at least 10 per cent of the lobster fleet, about 300 boats, powered by electricity or zero-emission fuels such as green hydrogen by 2030.” >>click to read<< 08:33
P.E.I. fisherman fined for catching both undersized and female lobsters with eggs attached
An eastern P.E.I. fisherman has been fined more than $8,000 for having both undersized and female lobsters with eggs attached in his catch. Thang Quoc Tran, 66, pleaded guilty to the two charges under the federal Fisheries Act on Aug. 24 in provincial court in Georgetown. Federal Crown attorney Matthew Bradley told the court that on May 31, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers were at the Launching Harbour (fishing area 26-A) conducting compliance inspections. Tran’s fishing vessel was inspected, and officers located 77 undersized lobsters and three female lobsters with eggs. One of the female lobsters was also undersized. >>click to read<< 14:58