By Chris Hayes - Cape Breton Post
SYDNEY — Fishermen around Cape Breton were looking at weather as a factor when it comes to lobster landings this year.
Steve Wadden - Cape Breton Post
The lobster season in eastern Cape Breton wrapped up on Thursday, but the work is far from over for many fishermen like Herman Wadden of Main-a-Dieu, who spent the day laying out his gear to dry on Friday.
Leonard LeBlanc said warmer water had lobsters on the move in an area off western Cape Breton where he sets his traps.
“We had a very good year,” he said. “The weather was excellent for the lobsters to move, the water was warmer.”
LeBlanc, who as president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition represents about 146 fishermen from Margaree Harbour to Pleasant Bay, said he went around in a T-shirt most of the time.
“The catch was excellent.”
LeBlanc said he personally landed about 17,000 pounds over the May 2-June 30 season, which would be a 30 per cent increase over last year.
Larger landings made up for prices that remained at $4.75 a pound, which was slightly lower than last year, he said.
“I think everybody is very satisfied with their season.”
Glace Bay fisherman Herb Nash said weather played a part in his lobster landings in the season that started on May 12 and wrapped up Thursday.
Landings started out strong in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds a week for the first three weeks, dropped to around 1,000 a week for four weeks that followed, before rebounding to end the season.
Fishermen in the harbour operating a single vessel probably ranged from 10,000 to 16,000 pounds over the season, he said.
“Our season wasn’t bad, we can’t complain about it,” he concluded.
Landings dropped off when the wind was blowing from the ocean toward the land, making for colder temperatures and higher swells, he said.
“This easterly wind, the wind is the wrong way, the water gets cold and nothing crawls,” he said.
“When it comes off the land it’s good, and when it’s on the land you starve to death.”
Nash said he believes fishermen elsewhere along Cape Breton’s eastern shore had worse landings than those in Glace Bay.
Fishermen in his area were getting $5 a pound until near the end of June, when the price dropped to $4.50.
The cost of lobster fishing is going up when bait, fuel and wages for helpers are added in, he said.
“Most people, their expenses are $600 to $1,000 a day.”
Nash also has a snow crab boat that is currently fishing near Sable Island and landing in Glace Bay.
Catching his crab quota is not a problem, said Nash.
LeBlanc was ready to start fishing snow crab Friday morning in an inshore fishery that ends on Sept. 13. He expected landings to be bountiful and for fishermen to catch their quotas before the end of the season.
As Cheticamp fishermen loaded their boats Thursday to prepare for the start of crab fishing season, representatives from the Workers Compensation Board, Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education were on the wharf urging them to wear personal flotation devices and take heed of safety at sea in general.
LeBlanc, who was taking part with the officials, said there are too many drownings that could be avoided if fishermen wore the flotation devices.
chayes@cbpost.com
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