There can be no doubt that a spring lobster fishery must take place this year in P.E.I. and will be viable, for those who are able to fish and have a place to sell their catches.
The government has already announced what will be available to fishers who suffer a loss of income should they not be able to fish and sell their catches this season. (1) They may apply for a loan through Farm Credit Canada, to supplement any loss of income and to pay for miscellaneous expenses they may have already incurred before their traps are even in the water. In addition this loan could be used to pay wages to those who work on boats as fisher’s helpers. I stress that this is a loan, money which will need to be paid back in the future. Do fishers need another payment in future years? I am admittedly no economist, but taking on more unnecessary debt does not seem to be a good business decision. (2) Fishers may apply for the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB), of $2,000 per month; an income supplement which is not tax free. Are these measures sufficient for fishers who can make a living this spring to stay home instead? I should think not and add that expecting a bigger handout from the government, as some groups are suggesting, unfortunately is not realistic.
The real crux of this issue however, is the health and safety of fishers and plant workers. Why is it not the case that plants and workers do their best to maintain social distancing by putting up barriers such as those we see in convenience stores, grocery stores and many other businesses? If these are good enough measures there, why not in fish plants? Plants could also shorten shifts to have fewer people working at any given time. Plants should also ensure that anyone who has to take time off for any kind of illness can be assured of sick benefits, so that anyone who is sick will stay home. As far as those on the boats go: most only have two people working on them, and certainly social distancing can be maintained on the boat as well as off. Not to mention the amount of family run boats, who would have all been staying home together anyway. If it means they can go fishing, fishers will take strong measures and do whatever the public health office recommends, to ensure the health and safety of their communities.
Further to the plants, some processors have already assured that there continues to be markets available. There was a letter addressed to Hon. Wayne Easter from six island processors circulated early last week confirming this situation. While this does not include all Island lobster buyers and processors, it is certainly a positive light on current market situations. First, if certain buyers are not buying lobster, fishers need to pressure them as to the reason why: is there actually no market, or is the profit margins for some buyers simply too low? Second, should the fishers who can sell their lobsters and make a legitimate living this spring be told to stay home and take what little the government is offering? Government aid should come only as a last resort to any industry and even then only the parts of the industry that need it. While it may unfortunately be the case that some fishers need to have recourse to aid as they have no other option, this is not the situation everywhere, and it should not be mandated for those who do not need it.
The effects of not having a spring lobster fishery on P.E.I. will devastate the Island economy and way of life. While the Island economy is at a stand-still during the current pandemic, the lobster fishery will be necessary to give the island economy and morale a massive boost in the coming weeks – everyone knows we could use a positive storyline. Think of the amount of money that fishers put back into the local economy. With the amount of small businesses struggling in the current climate, there will need to be something stable to pump money back into those businesses once the current situation passes, which it surely will hopefully sooner rather than later in P.E.I.
Dryden Buote is a lobster fisher from Tignish.
