PEI

New lobster marketing board votes being counted Monday

Votes will be counted on Monday on a lobster marketing board for P.E.I. that would oversee and collect a new one-cent-a-pound lobster levy

Lobster fishermen on P.E.I. will decide by mail-in ballot on new marketing board

Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association hopes if the vote is in favour of a new marketing board, everything can be in place in time for the spring lobster season. (CBC)

Votes will be counted on Monday on a new lobster marketing board for P.E.I.

The group that would oversee and collect a new one-cent-a-pound lobster levy for marketing.

Island fishermen have already voted in favour of the levy, but a separate vote was needed to set up the board.

Ian MacPherson, the executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association, says about 650 Island lobster fishermen registered for the mail-in ballot.

"If the vote is to move ahead, then we know there is lots of support there to get this in place," said MacPherson.

"And it would probably entail a little bit of extra work from a few departments. But at the end of the day, this is an important decision and if we want to move ahead, we'd like to move ahead this spring."

MacPherson said the P.E.I. Marketing Council is in charge of counting the vote on Monday.

The results will then be made public and will go to the provincial cabinet which has the final say.