SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh – May 1, 2015
Canada’s lobster fisheries in the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and regions in Prince Edward Island aren’t the only the ones to face fishing delays because of ice in the harbors. The region’s mussel and oyster harvesters are also reporting delays to their operations because of the ice cover.
Oystermen in PEI typically get their season started on May 1, but lingering ice across bays and rivers has made it difficult for fishermen to access oyster grounds. Now industry officials are working with the DFO to determine if an official delayed started to harvesting should be levied.
Some are trying to avoid a spring season delay similar to what the region’s lobstermen have been forced to endure also because of ice. PEI’s lobster season has been delayed to at least May 7, while fishing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was once again pushed back after the season was already rescheduled to start April 30.
Ice has also been a problem for mussel harvesters in Nova Scotia. Fishermen in Cape Breton said their plan is to give the ice some more time to clear out and will try to resume harvesting again next week.
In general this past winter season has been a brutal one for lobster and shellfish harvesters in New England and Atlantic Canada. Gale force winds, ice, snow and cold temperatures in January and February essentially shut down fishing across the board.
Those delays resulted in short clam and lobster inventories, which pushed New York Fulton and New England live market prices higher this past winter.
Meanwhile, any market impact from these spring season delays remains to be seen. Of particular interest will be on the lobster markets as traders look ahead to the important Mother’s Day holiday next weekend.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.