Lobster prices start to rise

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Conservation Protection Supervisor for Liverpool, Bill Wolfe has heard lobster prices start at $7 per pound.

He said this is a good price. “This year they stayed unusually low longer than what we expected.”

Normally, when catches are low like they are now, the price would be higher, he said.

Wolfe believes high winds and snow could be the reason for the low harvest.

The catches are probably “about 40 per cent lower than what they were last year,” he said.

The season started off with the price of lobster at $4.50 per pound.

Wolfe has seen lobster prices go as high as $12.25 during the cold winter months when catches are “extremely low.”

Besides a few warnings, Wolfe said, compliance has been good at this point.

“People are safe out there this year.”

Both fish harvesters and staff at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are anticipating catches will be higher than last year if there is good weather in the spring.

Wolfe added he hopes fishermen choosing to fish into the winter months remain safe.