Senator Donald Oliver

The Chronicle Herald

December 6, 2009

By Senator Donald H. Oliver, Q.C.

Monday’s Chronicle Herald headline read: “Lobster Season Opens”.  Hundreds of lobster harvesters will be heading out on the waters of the Atlantic to set-up more than 540,000 traps during the next six months, and particularly in the coming days and weeks before the New Year.

I recall last year that the price of lobster reached a 20-year low below $4.00 a pound.  It was a difficult year for fishermen who were concerned over covering their costs with such low prices.  As we are coming out of a Global recession, it is my hope that the 2010 lobster season will be more profitable than last year’s for coastal and rural communities who depend on this vital and sustainable industry.

Lobster is a key contributor to our economy and our most valuable seafood export sold in nearly sixty countries.  Last year, Canada’s lobster fisheries generated more than $1 billion in revenue, $400 million in Nova Scotia alone. 

The Government of Canada is committed to making this important industry grow.  It has provided more than $75 million in new funding to the lobster industry in 2009 alone.  In November, the Government announced another investment to identify potential new international markets in China for Atlantic Canadian premium live lobster; this on the heels of Prime Minister Harper’s successful visit to China.