Lobster season in area 25 off to a rough start

Lobster fishermen in southeast New Brunswick are hoping the late, slowstart of the season in area 25 isn't a sign of things to come.

Fisherman along the Northumberland Strait from Pointe Sapin to Pugwash were supposed to start Thursday, but bad weather delayed the opening by two days.

Michel Richard, who speaks for the Maritime Fishermen's Union, says not only was it a late start, it's also been a slow start.

"If we compare the opening of last year and previous years to this weekend, it seems to be somewhat less," he said Monday.

And to make matters worse, Richard also says the lobster they are landing aren't fetching much from the buyers.

Fishermen report prices as low as $4.25 a pound for canner lobsters, and $4.75 for market lobsters. That's up to 50 cents a pound less than last year.

Richard says it's not enough to cover their expenses.

"We're talking about a couple of hundred dollars a day just to bait the traps, the fuel to operate and paying the helpers. I think the fishermen are going to have a really hard run at it."

A buyer in Cap-Pel blames the high Canadian dollar and the economy for the low prices.

He says with the cost of living going up, a lot of people can't afford luxuries like lobster. And the buyer, who declined to be identified by name, said if the lobsters are going to be sold, they'll have to be sold at a low price.

As for the fishermen, Richard says it's still early in the season, so they're trying to be optimistic that things will get better in Zone 25.