Lobster fishermen selling direct to public

Maritime lobster fishermen are searching for new ways to sell their catch as prices remain low, and some of the tasty crustaceans are even turningup onthe online classified site Kijiji.

The lobster catch has been good this fall for many New Brunswick lobster fishermen, but what is hurting many of them is the $4 a pound they're getting from buyers.

The low prices aren't enough for many lobster fishermen to break even, and that's forcing some of them to look for alternate ways to make a profit from their catch.

Kenny McCavour is one of a growing number of fishermen who is selling his own fresh lobster to locals.

He and his wife have startingmarketing local lobster directly to Saint John residents out of their Lorneville home and are advertisingtheir catchin local newspapers and on Kijiji.

McCavour's lobster is listed on the online classified for $5.50 a pound.

"We've been selling up to 2,000 pounds a week lately," he said.

"We always figured the last $2 a pound was the profit. So we sell all we can ourselves, and go from there."

Trying to sell lobster on their own is a departure from the traditional route, where fishermensend the majority of their catch to the United States.Thedirect-to-consumer approachstill represents only a fraction of sales.

Waiting game

In Nova Scotia, fishermen and buyers are hoping a forecast for bad weatherwill meanless fishing, and thus a smaller supply and ultimately higher prices.

"Basically, we are just holding on and hoping. I mean, you can't buy them for $4 and sell them for $4.30 so you have got to hold on and hope that [the price] will go up," said Bobby Blades at I. Deveau Fisheries Ltd.

The uncertainty is a worry for exporters. With the big Christmas market set to begin next week, they cannot give buyers with big ordersa price because they don't know what they'll be payingwhenlarger quantities become available as fishermen sell lobster they're now storing.

"What we are fearful of is that we'll get to that threshold [and] there won't be product available and we lose the opportunity to satisfy our Christmas and New Year's markets," said Terry Zinck, with the Xsealent Seafood Company.

For now, many fishermen in Nova Scotia are joining their counterparts in New Brunswick and selling directly to consumers.

Fishermen plan lobster sale

Fishermen in the Saint Johnarea are planning to sell their catch right in the city's harbour for at least one day as an attempt to ignite local interest in the fishery.

John McDade is heading a group of Saint John fishermen planning to line up their boats on Long Wharf to sell lobster directly to the public for the first time in years.

"Fishermen have to take the industry in their own hands, because the price they're getting at the wharf is not sufficing," McDade said.

"All the fishermen are really looking for is a fair price for their commodity."

McDade said he hopes some day a fish market will be established in Saint John.

But until a permanent market can be set up, the one-day lobster sale at the wharf will be held on Dec. 19.