FREDERICTON (GNB) – The three-member Maritime Lobster Panel will begin meeting with industry organizations in early July. The independent panel was appointed by the fisheries ministers in the Maritime provinces to examine factors affecting lobster prices.

"The work that the panel will be doing is a step in the right direction to addressing the challenges facing the fishing industry," said Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Michael Olscamp. "We are confident that, with the input from the industry stakeholders, the panel will come up with elements of a solution to this situation."

The panel will invite organizations representing fishermen, brokers, buyers, shippers and processors throughout the Maritimes to meet with it during July. It is scheduled to meet with aboriginal lobster participants during the week of Aug. 5.

"This has been a challenging spring for harvesters, and we look forward to the panel's recommendations for the live and processed lobster industries to move forward successfully," said Sterling Belliveau, minister of fisheries, Nova Scotia.

The panel has been given a mandate to look at the common factors affecting the East Coast fisheries while recognizing the differences among the provinces and within each province.

"I encourage individuals and organizations representing the lobster industry to make their views known to the panel," said Ron MacKinley, minister of fisheries, aquaculture and rural development, Prince Edward Island. “This is an important opportunity to have a say in how we create a more viable lobster fishery."  

The panel has been asked to provide its perspectives and recommendations on five issues:

●    To determine why there was a sudden drop in price this spring and whether this was reflective of market conditions.

●    To examine the various cost and revenue components of harvesters, buyers and processors in the Maritimes with a view to determining viability thresholds and, to the extent possible, the ability of any single sector of the industry to influence unduly the price paid at the wharf.

●    To provide strategic advice to the three provinces on marketing initiatives.

●    To recommend options for a formal system or systems where the industry would know the price that will be paid harvesters in advance of landings.

●    To provide advice on a reasonable course of action to stabilize, and then increase, the price paid to harvesters while respecting the principles of owner-operator and fleet separation and protecting a fair return to the other businesses involved in the lobster value chain.

Individuals or organizations wishing to make written submissions are asked to do so by Aug. 23 either by email, [email protected]; by fax, 902-425-1325; or by regular mail:

Maritime Lobster Panel,
P.O. Box 34097,
Scotia Square,
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 3S1

The panel members are Gilles Thériault of New Brunswick; John Hanlon of Nova Scotia; and Lewie Creed of Prince Edward Island. The ministers are looking forward to receiving the panel's report in September.


27-06-13