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Lobster fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia are feeling the squeeze from soaring fuel prices.
In an interview with CBC’s Information Morning Nova Scotia on Thursday, two guests from Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 — one a commercial harvester — said high diesel costs will likely force vessels to make fewer trips and stay closer to shore.
Kenny Jacquard, a veteran fisherman from Wedgeport, N.S., with more than 30 years of experience, said this shift could strain inshore waters and increase competition among crews, as larger boats that normally fish further offshore stay closer to land to save fuel.
“It’s going to put so much more lobster traps in the inshore that it’s going to clean out all the lobsters probably before Christmas,” Jacquard said.
As of Friday, the minimum price for diesel stands at $2.66 per litre, according to the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
LFAs 33 and 34 are scheduled to open for harvesting on Nov. 30. Donnie Jacquard, who is closely involved with the fishery, said he has heard “horror stories” about fuel costs from those who harvest groundfish.
“Right now, the price of diesel fuel is going to force a lot of the lobster fishermen to go out less, instead of going out, let’s say four times a week,” he said. “So it’s going to hurt everybody in the long run.”
Both noted that high fuel costs drive up the price of nearly everything else, from fishing gear to daily living costs. Those expenses, they warned, will eventually be passed along to the market rate.
Kenny Jacquard said that lobster prices would need to reach almost $20 a pound for operations to remain profitable, though trade tariffs and market conditions add uncertainty.
He said he believes a lot of people are worried. “Not everybody will have a bad year because there’s always boats that will do OK, but for the majority, I would say people won’t be in as good shape as they usually are.”
The region’s lobster industry faces broader pressures beyond fuel prices.
Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, said catches in LFA 34 have dropped 50 per cent over the past decade, similar to trends in the Bay of Fundy, for reasons that remain unknown.
While LFA 33 harvest numbers have remained stable, Fleck said southwestern Nova Scotia remains vulnerable because of its heavy reliance on the lobster fishery.
“In other parts of the Maritimes, they have other fisheries they can rely upon — tuna, snow crab, shrimp, halibut,” Fleck said, but in southwestern Nova Scotia “lobster is it.”
Despite the uncertainties leading into opening day, Fleck said harvesters still hope for a bountiful season and a decent price.
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