Smoother sailing expected for 2021 spring lobster season

With just days until the opening of the spring season of P.E.I.'s lobster fishery on April 30, people in the industry say this year there's reason to be optimistic. 

"Things look a lot more positive this year than they were a year ago," said Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board.

Last spring, as uncertainty due to COVID-19 reined worldwide and the lobster industry struggled with a two-week delay to the season, securing workers and keeping them safe, and getting a fair price for harvesters, he said.

"Plants weren't ready to start production, they didn't have PPE for the workers in the plants, they didn't have enough workers for the plants — both local and temporary foreign workers. There were not many orders coming in a year ago, and there was some product in inventory, both live and processed products." 

McGeoghan said this year everything is in place for a smooth spring season, since temporary foreign workers have arrived on the Island early enough to complete their two-week self-isolation before they're needed in the plants. 

"The plants are ready, they have the workers in place for the most part, the PPE and the changes to the plants have already been done," said McGeoghegan. 

'A huge benefit'

McGeoghan said demand is high from China, Europe is opening up again and the U.S. demand is "steady."

"And there's no product in inventory this year, both processed or live," he added. "So that is a huge benefit to both processors and live shippers and also to fishermen."

McGeoghegan said much of last year's marketing focused on domestic markets, with some Canadians unable to travel and choosing to treat themselves to a lobster dinner at home. 

That domestic marketing will continue, he said, with more of an emphasis on central and western Canada. 

He's hopeful that demand will translate into higher prices for fishermen this year, especially since prices were poor last spring, starting the season at around $4 a pound for smaller "canner" lobsters and around $4.50 to $5 a pound for market-size, McGeoghegan said, rising slightly as the season went on.

"A record-high price would be seven and eight [dollars]," he said. "I think, based on what I'm seeing, it should be higher than that." 

'It was a weird season'

For harvesters, indications that 2021 won't be a repeat of 2020 come as a relief.

Peter Boertien has been fishing lobster out of North Lake for decades and said he'd never seen a season like last year's.  

"It was stressful last year, not knowing what was going on and how things were going to happen," he said of the two- week season delay, protocols around fishing safely amidst COVID-19 and uncertainty around prices and demand from processors that lingered for weeks. 

I think the anxiety level is down somewhat.— Ian MacPherson

"We weren't hauling a third of our gear a day. I never sold a full catch of everything until well into June. So it was a weird season, that's for sure, and the dollars weren't there either." 

Boertien said his catches were down about 30 per cent last year, and earnings down by almost 45 per cent. That just covered his overhead costs for workers, bait and fuel.

Demand for lobster ramped up too late to benefit spring harvesters in 2020, but Boertien said news of additional buyers this year is a good sign. He said with high demand, harvesters might actually be able to secure a price ahead of time, instead of having to wait more than a week to find out what they'll earn for their catches.  

"It takes the stress and the guesswork out of it, that first week and a half, you don't know what you're getting," said Boertien. "If five buyers told me what they're going to pay for my lobster, I know where I'm going the next day I come in with lobsters." 

'People are quite positive'

Ian MacPherson, executive director of Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association, said in general, harvesters are feeling hopeful about the spring lobster fishery.  

"I think the anxiety level is down somewhat," said MacPherson. "We had so many uncertainties last year. And although there's kind of an overriding uncertainty for a lot of people in a general sense, I think that's what I'm noticing: people are quite positive and more relaxed." 

MacPherson said with the increase in markets for lobster, he's hopeful everyone in the lobster supply chain will get a good return in 2021.  

He said approximately 1,000 PEIFA members fish in the spring, and about 250 more participate in the fall lobster season. 

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