After experiencing a delay in the season opener, Canadian lobstermen are now reporting lower-than-usual catches.
Fishermen in Lobster Fishing Areas 33 and 34 – some of Canada’s most fertile lobster-fishing grounds – started their season a week late due to weather issues.
Now, one week into the season, lobstermen are reporting landings 20 to 50 percent below normal. Colder-than-usual water temperatures may be the cause, one buyer told SeafoodSource. This year, the temperatures of local fishing waters are averaging less than four degrees Celsius, while a year ago, the average was around 11 degrees. Cold-blooded lobster tend to be less frisky in cooler water and are less likely to follow the bait into a trap.
Smaller hauls are driving prices up, with current wharf-side lobster prices s selling hovering around CAD 7.50 to 8.00 (USD 5.62 to 6.00, EUR 4.95 to 5.28) per pound.
Even with Canadian lobster exports booming as a side-effect of the U.S.-China trade war and the tariffs China has placed on U.S. lobster, several Canadian exporters told SeafoodSource they are concerned how world events – French riots, Brexit, court intrigue amongst the Saudi royal family, and a backlash over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive in Vancouver, to name a few – might disrupt traditionally robust Christmas and New Year's holiday sales.
