Uncertainty was in the air as lobster fishermen in lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 were prepping for the scheduled opening of the six-month commercial fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia on Nov. 30.
“I think fishermen are unsure of how it’s all going to go with the high fuel prices. There’s a bit of a bright spot where bait sounds like it may be a shade cheaper. There’s been a lot of herring around this summer, so a little bit of a bright spot, but I think fuel is going to be the story. The cost of everything. The cost it’s going to take for us to catch lobsters. The cost for buyers to move lobsters around. People are paying more for heating oil and for living. Are they going to have disposable income for lobster?” said Tommy Amirault, president of the Coldwater Lobster Association.
The live lobster market wasn’t looking very encouraging either going into the season.
“Due to a drop in lobster landings and the continued move to more processed products, live lobster exports are down 11 per cent by volume at the end of June. In general, the live market remains flat with very little upward momentum in 2026,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada (LCC).
As for the processed/frozen lobster market “due to overall supply and steady demand in the U.S.A., the tail and meat markets are steady with some variation in tail prices based on their size. Whole, in-shell exports have been good with steady demand reported in Europe and Asia. Overall export value for frozen lobster was down about three per cent to the end of June,” said Irvine.
The mandatory use of electronic logbooks (ELOGS) will begin in LFAs 33 and 34 this season.
“I think most fishermen are going to be able to figure it out. I think there will be some sticky spots there on the DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) side. There always is when something new like this comes out, especially 1,800 boats all hitting the water at the same time. It’s going to be tricky, a learning curve. Fishermen are a little more tech savvy than they used to be. For sure for some of the older guys it will be harder, but once they get used to it, they will be alright. I’m confident they will figure it out,” said Amirault.
Also new this season in LFA 33, lobster fishermen are permitted to keep male Jonah crab with a carapace width of 130mm or more as a bycatch and use for bait, as their counterparts in LFAs 34 through 38 have been permitted to do for years. Until now, the retention of Jonah crab as bait was not allowed due to the presence of a directed Jonah crab fishery in LFA 33. A review of the new measures will take place after three seasons to assess the sustainability of the approach.
With the season scheduled to start on the last Monday of November, which happens to be the last day of the month this year, Amirault said everyone is assuming there will be some weather issues.
“The later you go in November, the trickier the weather gets. I’m hoping there’s going to be some leeway, but it’s my understanding we’re not going to have the ability to go ahead of the date,” he said.
Debbie Buott-Matheson, strategic communications manager for DFO Maritimes Region, said the potential for any variance in the opening date will be discussed with industry members at the fall advisory committee meetings in October.
“Opening date decisions consider weather forecasts provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and advice from the LFA Advisory Committees. Representatives from each LFA Advisory Committee participate in pre-season weather conference calls with staff from DFO, National Defence (Canadian Coast Guard), as well as ECCC to discuss Dumping Day. These calls allow the fishing industry to recommend a delayed opening for the season based on safety concerns. On each call, predicted weather and sea conditions are discussed. If the forecast calls for winds over 26 knots, the opening is delayed. If the forecast expected is unclear, DFO, in consultation with industry representatives from each LFA, will make the final decision. Decisions for each LFA are independent of the other. Pre-season weather calls have been in place for approximately 24 years,” said Buott-Matheson.
There are a total of 1,656 licence holders in LFA 33 and 34: 678 in LFA 33 and 978 in LFA 34. It is Canada’s largest lobster fishery. For the 2023/24 season, the two LFAs combined caught 22,988 metric tonnes (MTs) of lobster with a landed value of $534 million. LFA 33 extends from Eastern Passage in Halifax County to Baccaro Point, Shelburne County. LFA 34 covers from Baccaro Point to Burns Point, Digby County.
In 2025, Canada exported $3-billion worth of lobster products to the world, with $2 billion of that going to customers in the U.S.A., said Irvine.
“Exporters are doing their best to diversify their markets, but it remains obvious that the U.S.A. is and will always be our largest customer of live and frozen lobster,” he said, noting Canada continues to have tariff-free access with the United States for all Canadian seafood species.
As for China, the 25 per cent tariff on lobster from China that was removed in March is due to expire on Dec. 31.
“We will be engaging with the federal government to support their negotiations with Chinese officials to make the tariff relief permanent. It is worth noting that Chinese 25 per cent tariffs continue on Canadian shrimp, geoduck and other species,” said Irvine.
Looking ahead, “the LCC has several trade diversification projects in the works for the next six months, including sponsorship of a chef competition, attendance at a major trade show and a presentation at the Canadian Seafood Conference in China, promotional events in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and a master class activation in Poland and Denmark. We also are the proponent for the annual Export Café series, which this year will see approximately 12 Atlantic Canadian seafood exporters visiting Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia,” said Irvine.
