Fishermen’s association wants to retire more lobster licences

By Eric McCarthy

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

NovaNewsNow.com

O’LEARY, P.E.I. — The lobster rationalization committee for the Prince County Fishermen’s Association is looking to retire more lobster licences. “We want to go for 10 more,” said association president Shelton Barlow.

The committee succeeded in getting 24 licences shelved prior to the 2009 fall season in Lobster Fishing Area 25. Taking advantage of a provincial loan, the committee provided each participant with a $20,000 down payment towards an agreed upon $175,000 purchase price.

Now, the group is trying to lock up federal funding, as well as private financing, so it can not only pay each of the initial 24 participants the remaining $155,000 to exit the fishery permanently, but also pay up to 10 more fishers $175,000 each to retire their lobster licences.

It all hinges on getting the promised $3 million in federal funding. That would be enough to cover one-half of the cost of retiring all 34 licences. “We’re going to go for the $3 million,” Barlow said, noting the committee has met to iron out some of the details.

Much more work has to be completed before everything comes together, though. The rationalization committee must meet with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union from New Brunswick, the group representing lobster fishers on the New Brunswick side of Lobster Fishing Area 25, and hammer out a joint lobster sustainability plan.

During a fishers’ meeting in December, committee members conceded the plan would likely have to include a two-millimetre increase in the carapace measure.

The committee must organize another meeting with its member fishers, likely during the week of Jan. 18, seeking their support. Barlow said the committee hopes to have the details on financing available by that time. The industry will be expected to help foot the bill for the remaining $3-million cost of retiring the 34 licences.