New Brunswick won the day this time, P.E.I. Fisheries Minister says about LFA 25 lobster carapace increase
ALBERTON, P.E.I. — Insisting there was no basis for the federal decision on a carapace size increase for the fall lobster fishing district, Craig Avery says the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association has requested a meeting with Federal Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo.
Avery, president of the PEIFA, said the request went out Friday, the same day that Minister Tootoo announced a five-millimeter size increase, spread over three years, for Northumberland Strait’s Lobster Fishing Area 25.
“I don’t know why they want to play around with the carapace size right now. There’s no need for it,” Avery insists. “The stocks are in great shape, lots of juveniles, lots of demand.”
Provincial Fisheries Minister Alan McIsaac shares Avery’s concern.
“We felt, with the science, with our market and things like that we were in pretty good shape, but the decision came down not in our favour in this case,” said McIsaac.
He said he had discussed with Tootoo, on three occasions this year, Prince Edward Island’s position that the carapace size be left alone.
With two spring lobster districts and one fall fishery around P.E.I, Avery admits the carapace issue has potential for being divisive and he’s hoping to prevent that.
District 25 in New Brunswick,” he added, “is the only place pushing for a carapace size increase that I know of.”
Asked if he had gotten any indication that Tootoo would be going ahead with an increase, McIsaac responded, “I think he was letting us know he was getting lobbied on both sides of this issue, that’s for sure.” Tootoo called him Friday to inform him of the decision.
There was a strong lobby from the New Brunswick side of the strait seeking an increase in the measure.
“I don’t know if it comes down to that but, there are more (fall fishermen) in New Brunswick than P.E.I., that’s for sure, and they won the day this time,” McIsaac acknowledged.
“We were pushing the science side of that, because we thought we had that in our favour, because the science said, fishing at the 72 mil size would not affect the number of lobster, and that met with our market, too,” said McIsaac, pointing to a specialty market Prince Edward Island had nurtured for the smaller canner lobster.
Despite two federal decisions in a row that goes against the Prince Edward Island position – this closely follows Tootoo’s decision to take halibut quota away from the Maritimes and give it to Newfoundland and Quebec – McIsaac said his department does have a good relationship with Tootoo.
“We’re disappointed on the halibut and the carapace size and we will continue to express our opinions with regards to that, and we will be looking for wins down the road. Lets put it that way,” he said. He anticipates having an opportunity to discuss the concerns with Tootoo during a meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial ministers next month in New Brunswick.
Avery is hoping his association’s discussion with Tootoo will be earlier than that.
“All we can do is meet with the minister and try to see if he will reverse the decision. But it’s not going to be easy, for sure.”
This article was originally published May 23, 2016.