By Chris Hayes
Transcontinental Media/Cape Breton Post
CHETICAMP — Fishermen landing lobster along the Cape Breton coast from Margaree Harbour to Pleasant Bay are arguing over a change to the start of the annual season.
Last year, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans changed the opening day of the season in the area, which is known as lobster fishing area 26B North, from the last day of April to the first Saturday of May. The season will still end on the last day of June.
Pleasant Bay fisherman Brian Adams, of the North of Smokey Fishermen’s Association, said the change kept fishermen ashore for two days last year and will for one day this year, but the first Saturday next year falls on May 7.
Looking 13 years into the future, Adams calculated fishermen making the later start will lose 67 fishing days. Adams said using conservative estimates for daily landings and price for the catch, that would cost each fishermen $79,562.
Fishermen opposed to the later opening want a plebiscite on the issue, said Adams, who doubted that proponents could show how a majority of all those in the affected area are in favour.
“ We’ll take our bumps, for or against, but that hasn’t happened.”
He hoped to talk to Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea about the issue.
Adams said the opening date should return to the last day of April and those fishermen who want to stay ashore are free to do so.
Cheticamp fisherman Leonard LeBlanc, president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition and a proponent of the change, said they will land the same amount of lobster with a later start. Fishermen starting in the first week of May will have landed all of their catch by the first week or middle of June, he said.
“After that you are breaking legs and scraping eggs,” he said. “It’s not an issue. So if you start a little later, you just spread your season over a bit later in June. There is only so much lobster to catch, and that’s it.”
The later start will also reduce fishermen’s carbon footprint, he said.
LeBlanc said fishermen usually lose days to ice and weather conditions at the start of the season, anyway.
“The year I set my traps on (May) 19 was probably one of my best years for a catch, so those who are arguing against, I think they are arguing on principles rather than facts.”
LeBlanc contended that a later start is a non-issue for a majority of the 110 licensed fishermen in lobster fishing area 26B North.
“Why should we be out there, spending more on fuel, spending more on bait when we can be more efficient and at the end of the year be more viable.”
Fisheries and Oceans official Monique Baker said the change to the opening day was part of a larger five-year conservation plan for the fishery that was proposed by a majority of fishermen and accepted by Shea. The department doesn’t know whether the later start would reduce landings by the end of the season, said Baker, a senior shellfish officer for the region. Baker doubted the fisheries minister would be changing her mind about the later start.
