Another banner lobster season unlikely, says veteran fishermen

Four weeks into the season in Canada's largest lobster fishing district, veteran fisherman Roger Leblanc speculates it won't be the boom year southwestern Nova Scotia enjoyed last season.

"Right now we're down almost 40 per cent or 50 per cent less than last year," said Leblanc as he prepared to haul in his traps and begin the dark, chilly voyage home to MeteghanHarbour on Tuesday.

Last year might have been the best season in a decade, with landings up and prices peaking at $6 per pound. But this year, Leblanc said he's getting a dollar less than that, $5 per pound.

"If you're just here for the money, well it's not a good year to be in it," Leblanc said.

'A three banger'

Bad weather delayed opening day, and recent snowstorms have kept some fishermen in Lobster Fishing Area 33 and 34 at home, for safety reasons.

"This year the weather was bad, catches are low, and the prices are low. So we're getting a three banger at the same time."

Leblanc said he's not hauling in the catch he did last year, but other fishermen report average landings.

Hubert Saulnier has been lobster fishing for 47 years, and also fishes out of Meteghan Harbour. He said about half of the fishermen in the area are landing catches similar to last year.

"But some, the catches are down," said Saulnier.

"Some of the fishermen that have gone further into the Bay of Fundy in deeper water, catches were not that great, and the quality was not that great."

Fishermen usually haul in most of their catch in the first six weeks of the six-month season.

Leblanc says there is hope the season could turn around when waters warm up in the spring.

Prices up because catches are down

Lobster buyer StewartLamontsaid the weather has made it a fishing seasonlike no other.

"We have had perhaps the most challenging weather period in the first three weeks of December that has taken place in the last 35 years, so it's been chaotic," he said.

Lamontsaysthe prices are up because the catch is down, and exporters like him are waiting on every single lobster that's caught to feed the overseas demand.