P.E.I. fisheries minister 'disappointed' with lobster size change

P.E.I's Fisheries Minister Alan McIsaac says he's disappointed in the federal government's decision to increase the lobster carapace size for Lobster Fishing Area 25. 

• P.E.I. fishermen aren't happy with the lobster size increase
• Lobster size minimums to increase, say federal officials 

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced Friday it was increasing the minimum legal carapace size — the measurement from the back of the lobster's eye socket to the end of its body, before the tail joint — from 72 millimetres to 73 this fall, with further increases coming in the next couple of years.  

We've built up markets for the canner size lobster, did our promotion in regards to that.— Alan McIsaac, P.EI. fisheries minister

LFA 25 covers parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and although Island fishermen are unhappy with the increase, N.B. fishermen are "ecstatic."

"They don't have the market we do for the canner lobster," McIsaac told CBC reporter Laura Meader by phone on Monday. Federal Fisheries Minister Hunter TooToo called McIsaac to tell him about the changes, he added. 

"We were a little shocked by the one, two and two," said McIsaac, referring to the fact that in 2017, the minimum size will increase by two millimetres to 75 millimetres and by 2018, it will rise again, to 77.

Throw back

It means lobster fishermen will have to throw back the smaller lobsters, referred to as "canner" lobsters, because they are often sold to be processed as canned lobster, whereas the larger lobster are mostly sold live to restaurants.   

P.E.I. had lobbied against the size increase, but McIsaac said New Brunswick's government strongly lobbied for it at the same time. 

"We've built up markets for the canner size lobster, did our promotion in regards to that," McIsaac complained, noting that he's worried P.E.I. processing plants will be affected by lower catches. 

P.E.I. has researched the health of lobster stocks, McIsaac added, and scientists don't believe lobster stocks in fishing area 25 are at risk. Now, the province plans to monitor catches to see what the change means, and McIsaac predicts catches will suffer.

"We're both fishing in the same water, and they were looking at maintaining the stock too and perhaps different on the science, I don't know," said McIasaac. 

"We are disappointed with the change for sure," he concluded. 

The increase in carapace size will allow more female lobsters to reproduce and help with conservation, according to DFO.