Tag Archives: Southwestern Nova Scotia
Smooth sailing not expected during lobster season off southwestern Nova Scotia
Southwestern Nova Scotia’s largest employer is gearing up for another season, however, this upcoming commercial lobster fishery comes with much uncertainty over what lies ahead for harvesters and the industry. Lobster shore prices have been down in other fishing districts ahead of the opening of this next commercial season and the cost of diesel and fuel prices, along with other expenses, is up. Lower prices for the catch, coupled with higher expenses to catch it, is not a great combination to be on the minds of fish harvesters as a new season gets underway. Photos, >click to read< 12:14
Chief William Saulis: RCMP to use sonar in effort to locate missing Nova Scotia scallop dragger
In a news release Tuesday morning, RCMP say the aerial search would resume, weather permitting, after it was paused on Monday, and an underwater recovery team would join the efforts and explore the water with sonar equipment. RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Joyce said the sonar search was dependent on conditions and it was not clear, as of late morning, whether the underwater crew would be able to start Tuesday. The goal, he said, is to locate the vessel. >click to read< 10:58
Chief William Saulis: RCMP continues search for missing fishermen on Monday, say unidentified debris found
The RCMP says it is continuing the recovery mission for five scallop fishers and a vessel missing off the Nova Scotia shore on Monday. Police say helicopter crews did an aerial search of the coastline spanning approximately 100 kilometres, from Digby Gut to Harbourville. The search did not locate the missing fishermen nor the debris from the Chief William Saulis fishing vessel. video, >click to read< 14:06
For Nova Scotia mother of scallop fisherman, a painful wait for her son lost at sea
For Lori Phillips, waiting for news of a son lost at sea is painful, as she says closure could begin with his body’s return from the Bay of Fundy. As of Sunday at 4 p.m. local time, crewman Michael Drake is the only one of the six people on board whose body has been recovered by search teams. Phillips says she hopes desperately her son Aaron Cogswell and the others still missing can be located as well, whether by searches or raising the vessel. The continuing care assistant in the Annapolis Valley has had a trying year, looking after elderly residents in a Berwick, N.S. long-term care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently grieving the death of her father-in-law. “I want my son home. I want to have something that I could go to,”,,, “I need his body, I need closure and , video, >click to read< 17:27
F/V Chief William Saulis: Helicopter search reveals no sign of scallop fishermen lost off Nova Scotia this morning
RCMP say an aerial search for five fishermen who were working on a scallop boat when it sank in the Bay of Fundy has not spotted any sign of them as of late morning local time today. Police had said in a news release on Saturday that a search with a helicopter would be suspended until Sunday, but have since corrected this to say some aerial searching occurred on Saturday and was continuing into Sunday morning. A release said the search did not locate the missing fishermen or debris from the scallop dragger Chief William Saulis,,, >click to read< 12:29
Search for missing fishermen in Bay of Fundy has paused
The search for five fishermen, and clues about what happened to their missing scallop vessel in the Bay of Fundy, has been put on pause, again.What began as a search-and-rescue mission on the water, as well as by ground and air on Dec. 15, turned into an RCMP recovery mission 36 hours later. All efforts were suspended when a winter storm hit the province on Dec. 17, and resumed only briefly by helicopter the following day. In an update Saturday morning, RCMP said the ground search has been suspended indefinitely because of unsafe conditions. A search by air may resume Sunday if the weather allows. >click to read< 12:14
Search resumes for missing F/V Chief William Saulis fishermen in Bay of Fundy
Police say the search for five missing fishermen from the Chief William Saulis fishing vessel in the Bay of Fundy will resume from the air on Friday morning. Nova Scotia RCMP said in a news release that they are partnering with the Department of Lands and Forestry to search by helicopter. The ground search is still suspended due to safety concerns, after a snowstorm that hit the province on Thursday. Police say they will reassess conditions on Saturday. >click to read< 11:37
F/V Chief William Saulis: Support being extended to families of lost and missing fishermen – Vessel Owner Issues Statement
“As our community continues to grieve, it is most important that the families and friends of those lost know we are here to support them in whatever way they need – physically, mentally, spiritually,” said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood on Thursday, Dec. 17. “We are a resilient community but now is not the time to talk about bouncing back. Now is the time to grieve. To cry. Be angry. To feel.”,,, With families at the forefront during this time of grief, Mood reached out to Bertha Brannen, a grief recovery specialist in Yamouth, who will work with families of those lost. >click to read< 07:49
Search Suspended; Owner Of Capsized Vessel Issues Statement – Yarmouth Sea Products issued a statement Wednesday about the loss of the Chief William Saulis and the six fishermen aboard. >click to read the statement in full<
Yarmouth is heartbroken by fishing tragedy – ‘It’s such a feeling that ‘sad’ doesn’t even describe’
If there is one thing Yarmouth prides itself on, it is for being a fishing community.,, There are ups. And there are downs. It’s almost like wedding vows. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. And sometimes, tragically, ‘till death do us part.,, Southwestern Nova Scotia has not been immune to loss, heartbreak and tragedy on the sea. And it can also be cruel. And now comes more heartache. The scallop dragger F/V Chief William Saulis and its six-member crew was on its way into port on Tuesday, Dec. 15 when something went terribly wrong. >click to read< 10:19
Commercial fishermen rally in Digby, Ex-fisheries minister calls for pause on out of season fishing and protests
Several hundred commercial fishermen held a rally Tuesday in Digby, N.S., as tensions continued to simmer over expanded Mi’kmaw lobster fishing in the area. There were calls for a pause on all out-of-season fishing by First Nations and an audit of commercial licences awarded to bands following the 1999 Marshall decision that recognized their right to fish for a moderate livelihood. Afterward, some fishermen gathered outside a lobster facility in New Edinburgh suspected of buying lobster harvested by Mi’kmaq fishermen when the season is closed. There was an RCMP presence at the rally, which was held on the eve of the Wednesday opening of commercial fishing in Lobster Fishing Area 35 in the Bay of Fundy. >click to read< 22:03
Weather delays opening day of lobster season in southwest N.S.
Rather than heading out to sea to set their gear on Monday, Nov. 25, strong winds have kept fishermen ashore an extra day. A decision was made during industry conference calls on Monday morning to go with a Tuesday, Nov. 26 opening. Rather than leaving the wharves at the normal 6 a.m. time in LFA 34 (in southwestern Nova Scotia) the decision was to push the start back to 7 a.m. LFA 33, which stretches along the province’s South Shore, will also have a 7 a.m. start on Tuesday. >click to read< 10:57
Lobster landings down, shore price record-setting for opening week
Shore prices were record-setting for the opening week of the commercial lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia, going from $6 to $6.25 per pound on the first landing day (Dec. 2) to $8 by Friday (Dec. 7), but on the bad side the prices were driven by an estimated 30 to 40 per cent decrease in lobster landings compared to the same timeframe last year. “The price is phenomenal,” said Lockeport buyer Mike Cotter, owner of Cotter’s Ocean Products Inc. “It’s unreal. It opened at $6, $6.25 and now today it’s $8. That’s a big price.” >click to read<10:26
Following weather delay lobster fishery will get underway on Saturday, Dec. 1
The lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and along the province’s south shore will open on Saturday. Under ideal weather conditions the season would have begun on Monday, Nov. 26, but winds this week pushed the start of the season back to Dec. 1. In LFA 34 (which takes in all of Yarmouth County and parts of Shelburne and Digby counties) boats will leave their wharfs at 6 a.m. on Saturday. In LFA 33, which extends from Shelburne County to Halifax County, boats will depart at 7 a.m. >click to read<12:40
Mid-week decision will be made on a Friday or Saturday start to the lobster fishery
The start of the lobster season that had been delayed for Monday now won’t happen until Friday or Saturday in southwestern Nova Scotia and along the province’s south shore. During a Monday morning 8 a.m. conference call that took place for LFA 34, the decision was made to have another conference call on Wednesday morning to decide on a Friday or Saturday opening. The vote to hold off until beyond Wednesday was made by the port reps given the forecast for the next few days. Fourteen LFA 34 port reps voted no-go until later in the week, two voted to go earlier and one rep abstained from the vote. A conference call took place in LFA 33 an hour later. The decision to hold off until week’s end was unanimous in that call. >click to read<16:39
Weather Delay – ‘You can’t beat Mother Nature’: start of lobster fishing season postponed
Lobster fishing season in southwestern Nova Scotia will be off to a late start this year after officials postponed the day that fishermen were slated to drop their traps — also known as “dumping day.” The season was supposed to kick off on Monday, but Fisheries and Oceans spokesperson Debbie Buott-Matheson said based on forecasted weather, the industry associations representing lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 decided in a Saturday morning conference call that it would be too risky to proceed as planned. >click to read<14:32
Optimism heading into the 2017 lobster season off southwestern Nova Scotia – Search and Rescue is Ready!
While many factors can come into play before an opening shore price is determined in the commercial lobster fishery, there is reason for optimism going into this season. In the Upper Bay of Fundy in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 35, where the season opened on Oct. 14, there are reports of strong landings and a solid shore price of $6.50. The Canadian dollar was trading at less than 80 cents with its American counterpart in October, which is always good news for Canadian exporters. click here to read the story 08:35
SAR assets lined up for lobster dumping day off southwestern Nova Scotia-Inshore and offshore Search and Rescue (SAR) platforms will already be on the fishing grounds and in position when lobster fishermen in LFAs 33 and 34 head out to set their traps on dumping day. click here to read the story
RCMP investigating two suspicious boat fires in southwestern Nova Scotia
The most recent incident occurred on Monday, Oct. 9 when the Buck and Doe fishing vessel was reported missing from the Comeauville Wharf in Comeauville, Digby County.,,, A few days earlier, on Oct. 5 at 7:44 a.m., a fire was reported aboard the Amanda’s Pride 1. The vessel had been docked at the slip in Weymouth North. The RCMP say an initial investigation determined that something was put in the engine hatch, which caused the fire. click here to read the story 16:42
Lobster boat torched amid tensions in Nova Scotia – Alex McDonald said he gets along well with non-Indigenous lobster fishermen in the area and doesn’t believe any of them are to blame. “I know the other fishermen so I don’t believe it was my fellow fishermen that fish beside me. click here to read the story
Lobster season drawing to a close off southwestern Nova Scotia
The largest commercial lobster season in Canada comes to a close this week with the end of the season in lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 34 and 33 off southwestern Nova Scotia and along the province’s south shore. Fishermen in these districts have until the end of the day Wednesday, May 31, to haul their traps out of the water, although some had already started bringing loads of traps and gear shore over the weekend. (A nice little rundown of the season, with some very good photo’s of hard working people doing what they do, and a mention in reverence to Fisherman Big Jim Buchanan who tragically lost his life early in the season) Click here to view the photos and read the story. Rest in Peace Jim Buchanan. 17:22
“It’s been a long time coming.” Lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia may be best in decade
A lobster fisherman in southwest Nova Scotia says this season, which ends at midnight tonight, may have been the best in a decade. Bernie Berry, captain of the lobster boat Ready To Go and president of the Coldwater Lobster Association, said it’s too soon to calculate official landing numbers. But he estimates fishermen in the two lobster fishing areas that make up southwest Nova Scotia — from Halifax all the way down the South Shore to just south of Digby Neck — likely landed almost 75 million pounds of lobster this season. The 2015-2016 season is “one of the best, if not the best” in the past 10 years, Berry said. “It’s been a long time coming.” Read the story here 15:34
Banner lobster season underway in sou’west Nova
Strong lobster landings, good fishing weather and a solid shore price continue to hold one month into the commercial lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia. “The catches have been phenomenal,” says Lockeport lobster dealer Mike Cotter of Cotter’s Ocean Products Inc. “It’s just been amazing, right from day one. The catches have been good for everybody and the price has been good. You’re not going to get any better season than this for sure.” Fine weather prevailed for the first two weeks of the season, which opened on Nov. 30 in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 33 and 34, enabling fishers to check their traps every day. Read the article here 09:41
They’re off! Lobster season gets underway in southwestern Nova Scotia
The lobster season in lobster fishing area (LFA) 34 – which takes in all of Yarmouth County and parts of Shelburne and Digby counties and LFA 33, which takes in the rest of the South Shore, kicked off early Monday morning. All indications are that the season will be an excellent one, say industry representatives and are hoping strong prices and good catches. There are around 980 licence holders in LFA 34. As for the lobster season that is now getting underway, it will come to an end on May 31, 2016. Read the article here with 4 nice photo’s 08:50
‘Tis the season in southwestern Nova Scotia! Fishermen gearing up for Nov. 30 start of lobster fishery
Unless delayed by weather, the lobster season in lobster fishing area (LFA) 34 – which takes in all of Yarmouth County and parts of Shelburne and Digby counties – wll kick off the last Monday of November. This year the opening day falls on Nov. 30. Opening day is also known as dumping day. It’s the day that captains and their crews leave wharfs at 6 a.m. in this fishing district to dump their traps at sea – hoping for good catches when they haul them back up. There are around 980 licence holders in LFA 34. With boats weighed down with hundreds of traps,,, Read the rest here 13:24
Lobster industry rebounds with low dollar and high prices – Lobster exports from Nova Scotia are worth $385M
Nova Scotia’s largest lobster fishery is enjoying a banner season thanks in part to low fuel prices and a low Canadian dollar. Jamie Osborne, a lobster fisherman, is one of those enjoying the perfect storm of good news. “Fuel is going down, lobster are going up,” he said. Cheaper fuel is just one factor. The lower Canadian dollar is another factor, for an industry that relies on exports. Lobster exports from Nova Scotia are worth $385 million annually. Read the rest here 09:16
Southwestern Nova Scotia: Lobster season opening set for Friday morning
UPDATED: Unless there is a drastic change over the next couple of days, the opening of the lobster fishing season off southwestern Nova Scotia is set for Friday, Nov. 28, with the LFA 34 district opening at 6 a.m. and the LFA 33 district opening at 7 a.m. Read the rest here 09:03
Process underway now to plan ahead for upcoming lobster seasons
If things go as planned, lobster fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia won’t find themselves wondering at the 11th hour whether there will be any changes to their season in the weeks leading up to the opening of the 2014 fall fishery. Read more here 12:41
Positive reaction to Senate’s lobster report
THE VANGUARD – 
The executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada is happy to see that a Senate committee studying the lobster industry has recognized the importance of the lobster council and its work. Now Geoff Irvine hopes to see a recommendation included in the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ report, released on May 28, translate to ongoing support for the council – as the recommendation calls for – and also ongoing mechanisms for funding, which the council needs. continued
