P.E.I.'s $100-million lobster industry has been thrown into chaos as lobster buyers turn fishermen away with what was once a lucrative catch.
Three days into the spring lobster fishery and already the Island's big processors say they can't find sales for the catch, because the global economic recession is turning consumers away from the once expensive lobster.
Fishermen in some Island ports tied up their boats Tuesday.
Ocean Choice, the Island's largest lobster buyer, has placed a 500-pound per day per boat limit on lobster purchases. Some fishermen were catching twice that amount on Monday.
Prices meanwhile are plummeting.
Island fishermen won't know until later this week what the official price will be, but industry sources say it could be as low as $2.75 per pound for canners.
"It's a pretty sad day when fishermen have to go out and find their own markets for their lobster the night before," said Red Head fishermen David Sansom.
"How can there be a problem with too much inventory just three days into the season?"
His father, Austin, a retired fishermen, wonders if there will even be a lobster fishery by June.
"We're not getting any support from politicians."
The potential collapse of the Island's most lucrative fishery dominated question period at the P.E.I. legislature Tuesday.
Fisheries Minister Neil LeClair described it as a crisis unprecedented in the history of the fishery in Prince Edward Island.
The province is looking for financial help from the federal government, saying a potential collapse of the lobster industry would hit P.E.I. harder than the collapse of the auto industry has hit Ontario.
"We'll do everything in our power to help the fishing industry," said LeClair.
"This is a serious crisis for P.E.I. and we have to resolve it."
But Opposition fisheries critic Jim Bagnall put the blame squarely at the feet of the Province, saying the Liberal government should have seen this "dire crisis" coming. He said fishermen need cash in their hands immediately.
"You've had the warning signs all winter, I mean the message has been out there for the last six to nine months that there was going to be a crisis in the fishing industry here," said Bagnall.
"The problem is this government and this premier has done nothing. He hasn't put one cent of extra money into the fishing industry. He knew there was a crisis coming, he knew there was problem with financing across the board and what have they done? Nothing.
"They have done nothing to help the fishermen."
Premier Robert Ghiz pleaded for help from Ottawa.
But the Island government hasn't put a price tag on the aid package it is looking for from the federal government.
"We need the federal government to step up to the plate, our fisheries is a $350 million industry on a $5-billion GDP," Ghiz said from the floor of Province House.
"Compared to Ontario, it's much more important and we need help from the federal government."
The only bright light may be for consumers.
The price of lobster may not be falling in large grocery stores, but lobster peddlers were selling cooked canner lobsters for $5 per pound in Stratford Tuesday.
But Maritime lobster is still fetching a fair price in Ontario. A buyer there was advertising two 1.5-pound Maritime lobster for $120.
In an interview late Tuesday, LeClair said he plans a conference call with Maritime fisheries ministers Wednesday. He's also planning further talks with Ottawa.
"Fishermen are going to go fish (Wednesday). But I'm not sure what the situation will be. I'm under the understanding that some of the buyers who were not buying Tuesday will be buying Wednesday."
Fishers must do their part: Shea
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea says she'll go to bat for Island lobster fishermen anytime, but fishermen have to do their part.
A 500-pound per day limit may not be unreasonable, she said. The idea recently dismissed by fishermen to reduce the amount of lobster traps being fished may have also been a missed opportunity, she added.
The federal fisheries minister is sending her deputy minister, Claire Dansereau, to Prince Edward Island Wednesday to get a handle on the crisis facing Island lobster fishermen.
Three days into the lobster season and lobster buyers are calling for limits on the amount of lobster they will buy, if they are buying lobster at all. Prices are said to be as low as $2.75 per pound.
The situation has some lobster fishermen tying up their boats.
"It's not just the federal government that has to do something here, everybody has to work together," Shea said..
"The fishers have to do something, the processors have to do something, and both levels of government have to do something. We have to figure out what that is to get us over this hump."
Shea said she's prepared to talk about financial compensation, but she said the provincial government needs to put its money on the table.
But P.E.I. Fisheries Minister Neil LeClair said while he's prepared to work with the federal government, he can't put financial aid on the table. He said part of the reason is because the province can't afford it.
The other reason is because of a deal signed by the previous Conservative administration with Ocean Choice (OCI) that prevents the province from providing aid to lobster processors.
"We have this OCI deal which has been hanging over us for a number of years now. That's been an issue," said LeClair.
"What we have to do is work with the federal government, make them understand that this is our auto industry"
"We need some funding, we need some help."
Shea said she realizes Island lobster fishermen are facing a difficult time, adding Ottawa has provided help to the industry already through access to credit programs for Island processors.
"I don't think anybody went into this fishing season thinking it was going to be smooth sailing. People were expecting there would be some difficulties, but I don't think anybody expected that they would have to limit the amount of lobster they would have to land."
