N.S. lobster fishermen join P.E.I. price protests
Buyers offering between $3.75 and $4.00, fishermen demand $5.00
Lobster fishermen in Guysborough, Antigonish and Pictou Counties are following the lead of fishermen on Prince Edward Island and tying up their boats.
At a meeting Wednesday night in Antigonish, 90 fishermen voted to stay home Thursday and Friday to protest rock-bottom prices.
The protests on P.E.I. have included a blockade at a lobster plant in the eastern part of the province.
Fisherman Dan MacDougall, who led the meeting in Antigonish, said buyers are offering $3.75 a pound for canners and $4.00 for market sized lobster.
He said that’s simply not enough to make a profit.
"It means there’s no margin," he said. "You’re putting it back, everything back in to expenses."
MacDougall said fishermen need close to $5 a pound to make a decent living.
"Everyone has bills, but new entrants are feeling the squeeze. If there’s no profit, and you’re not making a living, you’re really at risk of bankruptcy."
MacDougall said the fishermen will decide their next move at a meeting Friday.