Tag Archives: Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association

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

Atlantic Canada makes strides to decarbonize commercial marine vessels

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with federal government support, are currently investigating opportunities to electrify certain classes of vessels in an effort to help decarbonize the marine transportation sector. Next spring, the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA) is planning to launch a pilot project to test different energy-efficient vessel propulsion systems, such as electric, hybrid or alternative fuels, for nine of the PEIFA’s inshore lobster fishing vessels. With combined funding of $3 million provided by both the federal and provincial governments, distributed through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund, the PEIFA is at the preliminary stages of developing the pilot. >click to read< 07:49

They’re Ready! P.E.I. 2021 spring lobster season – ‘Things look a lot more positive this year than they were a year ago’

Last spring, as uncertainty due to Coronavirus, reined worldwide and the lobster industry struggled with a two-week delay to the season, securing workers and keeping them safe, and getting a fair price for harvesters.  “Plants weren’t ready to start production, they didn’t have PPE for the workers in the plants, they didn’t have enough workers for the plants,,, “The plants are ready, they have the workers in place for the most part, the PPE and the changes to the plants have already been done,”. McGeoghan said demand is high from China, Europe is opening up again and the U.S. demand is “steady.” >click to read< 10:14

Pulp mill shutdown not what P.E.I. fishermen were seeking

The president of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association says the industry really wasn’t looking to have Pictou County’s Northern Pulp shut down its pulp mill. Bobby Jenkins says industry wanted the pulp mill to come up with an alternate plan to the one that would pipe effluent into the Northumberland Strait. >click to read< 11:40

Fishermen’s groups seek candidates’ stance on Nova Scotia pulp effluent

In a joint statement released Monday, the coalition, representing the Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board, Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association, Maritime Fishermen’s Union and Pictou Landing First Nation, says it will be seeking the position of all local federal election candidates on Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent pipeline. The coalition maintains the pipe would, on a daily basis, release between 65 and 87 million litres of effluent into the Northumberland Strait, “one of our most important commercial fishing areas.”,,, It points out the area falls under the Canadian Fisheries Act and is the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. >click to read< 12:49

P.E.I. fishermen exploring compensation if damage done to fisheries

The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association is exploring ways members could be compensated if damage is done to local fisheries. The topic was on the agenda for the association’s annual general meeting Saturday. The group has been working with law students at the University of New Brunswick to research different compensation packages in the event of environmental damage. >click to read<

PEIFA puzzled over prices: association says P.E.I. price is 25 cents behind New Brunswick’s

The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association is describing it as “puzzling” that the price P.E.I. fall lobster fishermen are receiving for their catch is trending 25 cents a pound lower than what New Brunswick fishermen are receiving. The fall fishermen all fish in the same body of water, Lobster Fishing Area 25 in the Northumberland Strait. “Despite warmer than normal temperatures, harvesters report robust product is being delivered to buying stations in Prince County,” the PEIFA says. The association notes many fall fishermen invested fairly significantly in recent months in onboard storage equipment to maintain the quality of their catch. >click to read<18:25

PEIFA shares concerns about right whales

The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA) would like to clarify and expand upon some of the information that has been in the media recently regarding North American Right Whales (NARW). The PEIFA shares the concerns of the public around the declining population of these magnificent marine mammals. The organization has been very active during the past winter attending numerous Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) informational meeting and representing the Prince Edward Island inshore harvesting sector,,, Both the snow crab and lobster fishers on P.E.I. have supported and implemented the reduction of rope in their fishing practises and other gear standardization. >click to read<13:57

Maritime fishermen’s groups pull out of meetings with Northern Pulp

Groups representing fishermen’s associations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. say they won’t meet with representatives from Northern Pulp unless the paper mill provides an alternative to its plan to pump treated effluent into the Northumberland Strait. On Monday, representatives from the Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board (GNSFPB), the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association and the Maritime Fishermen’s Union went public with the decision, which was announced at a meeting with Northern Pulp last Tuesday. “They’re asking us to take all the risk. One hundred per cent of the risk is going to be borne by the fishermen. If something goes wrong, it’s our fishery,” >click to read<14:47

LETTER: Need thorough, unbiased environmental study

I’d like to address publically, the situation in Pictou County involving Northern Pulp and the subsequent closure of Boat Harbor by 2020 with regards to the ‘replacement’ treatment plan which ultimately includes a pipeline for the treated effluent to be discharged into the Northumberland Strait which is part of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.,,, It should also be noted that the new home of the end of the purposed pipeline is the heart of LFA 26. (Lobster Fishing Areas – there are 41 LFA’s in Canada, of them, LFA 26 as a whole is amongst the highest producers in tonnage of annual lobsters landed). I’m highlighting lobster as this is the main source of revenue for the 1000 plus fishers that fish this zone commercially. John Collins, Alma Road click here to read the story 18:48

Price plunge: P.E.I. lobster fishermen say they’re losing $2/lb

Some P.E.I. lobster fishermen say they were told Thursday they would get $4.50 a pound for market lobster and $4 a pound for canners — a $2 drop. New Brunswick lobster fisherman received similar news, which led a number of fisherman to tie up their boats in protest. Shelton Barlow fishes lobster out of Howard’s Cove, P.E.I., and when he heard of the lobster pricing Thursday he couldn’t believe it. In his 40 years of fishing, Barlow said, this quick price drop is the worst he’s ever seen. click here to read the story 10:44

P.E.I.’s fall fishery facing falling lobster prices, surging dollar

Bobby Jenkins, Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association president, says there are a much smaller number of fishermen harvesting lobster in the fall, compared with the Island’s spring fishery. That, he said, may help maintain prices but there are storm clouds on the horizon. P.E.I.’s fall lobster fishermen set their gear in the Northumberland Strait between Victoria and North Cape on Tuesday. They share the lobster fishing zone with New Brunswick fishermen and a few harvesters from Nova Scotia. The first full catches of the season will be landed today. click here to read the story 09:59

Canadians are contesting New Hampshire’s supposedly record-breaking lobster roll

Perhaps not since the Pork and Beans War has New England been engaged in such an inconsequential food-related dispute with its northern neighbors. But here we are. Last weekend, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire location of the local pub chain British Beer Company set out to break the record for the world’s longest lobster roll, previously set last September by the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association. And according to the Portsmouth restaurant, they did it — beating the Canadians’ 120-foot-long roll with a heaping creation just shy of 160 feet. click here to read the story 16:57

Canada has MPA Fever – Atlantic Canadian fishermen not hooked on idea

A federal government plan to speed up the creation of more marine protected areas in Canada is getting pushback from some Atlantic Canadian fisheries groups. Marine protected areas are established to protect species at risk or unique species from human interference. These areas can close designated ocean and coastal areas to economic activities like offshore energy development and fishing. “This is a huge impact on all the fisheries in Canada,” said Ian MacPherson, the executive director of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association. MacPherson and other fishing industry representatives outlined their concerns this week in appearances before the parliamentary standing committee on fisheries and oceans. click here to continue reading the story 12:04

Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association names Bobby Jenkins new president

The new president of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association is entrusting the decision-making responsibilities of the 1,280-member organization in the hands of his board of directors. “You’ve got to work with your board of directors and take your direction from them,” Annandale fisherman Bobby Jenkins said Monday following his weekend election. He takes over from Craig Avery who did not re-offer following two and a half years at the helm. “I congratulated Craig for doing the same thing. I felt Craig took great direction from the board, and I said I don’t intend to do it any differently,” Jenkins said in reference to comments he made to membership during the association’s annual meeting. continue reading the story here 15:35

P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association favors conserving the recourse over extending the season

live-lobsterThe Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association won’t be asking the federal government to extend the spring lobster fishery despite a slow start to the season.  There was an expectation in recent days that Island lobster fishermen would seek an extension to the spring season. In a responsible decision Wednesday, fishermen announced they would not pursue that option. Everyone on this province is well aware the weather in May and deep into June was predominantly cold and damp. Things finally improved – or at least got warmer – on the weekend, once you discount the gale force winds Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday. Over those first seven weeks of the fishing season, a number of days were lost because of windy conditions. Many other days on the water were not pleasant, with persistent bone-chilling easterly or northerly winds. Read the rest here 10:12

PEI: Fishermen, processors try to sway Jason Kenney on foreign workers

863a4ac9dc_64635696_o2The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association and Seafood Processors Association spent two hours Sunday with  trying to change his mind about the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. The purpose of the meeting was to explain to the minister why they couldn’t find local Islanders to staff their operations. Read the rest here 11:06

Halibut-tracking test hopes to prove quota increase needed

Michael MacDonald with the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association says they’re trying to make a case to Fisheries and Oceans Canada that fishermen should be allowed to catch more halibut. As it stands now, each Island fisherman can take in just over 100 kilograms. Read the rest here 07:38

Fall lobster season off to a windy start on P.E.I.

lobster season

Because of the windy forecast Fisheries and Oceans Canada didn’t make the final decision to go ahead with setting day until Thursday night. The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association says five of 10 Island harbours wanted to wait until Monday. <Read more here> 07:54

Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association questions LFA23 lobster extension

CHARLOTTETOWN — Although the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association has condemned a Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ decision to add five days to the end of the spring lobster fishery in New Brunswick’s Lobster Fishing Area 23, a co-chair of the Area 24 Lobster Advisory Committee on Prince Edward Island’s north shore views the DFO move as precedent-setting. Read more here 19:51

Boat quotas now in place for some PEI lobster fishermen –

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ALBERTON — The president of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association expressed frustration Tuesday of a situation that has suddenly found some Island lobster fishermen on boat quotas and others looking for buyers for their catches. Read more here  15:46

ATTENTION FISHERS: Fisheries Skills Training Courses – Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association

*All the above listed courses will be held at the Summerside Marine Training Centre. Information, and agenda here  10:03