Nova Scotia lobstering season under way

YARMOUTH, Nova Scotia – Strong swells along parts of the Nova Scotia coast between Cole Harbour and Lockeport kept some lobster fishermen from setting all their traps Monday, the opening day of southwestern Nova Scotia’s lobster season.

But most boats from ports in Shelburne west to Yarmouth and around to Digby were able to get their traps in the water.

By late afternoon, only nine boats had reported minor problems out of more than 1,700 boats making several trips to and from shore loaded with traps, Ian Marshall said from the federal Fisheries Department office in Yarmouth.

Monday was dumping day, when 6,000 fishermen in two lobster fishing areas running from Halifax County to Digby went to sea to set their traps.

Poor weather is commonplace from November to April at sea, and Monday was no exception.

One boat out of Pinkneys Point, Yarmouth County, was towed back to port by the Canadian Coast Guard after taking in water, Marshall said.

Seven other boats reported engine trouble and were towed in, one to Mahone Bay and six to ports in the Lobster Bay area of Shelburne County, he said.

A Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft will patrol over the fishing grounds Tuesday, as it did Monday, and a Labrador helicopter is on standby. Lobster fishing in District 33 runs from Cole Harbour to Baccaro, Shelburne County. More than 760 boats in that area were allowed to head to sea at 7 a.m. Each boat has a 250-trap limit, Marshall said.

District 34 runs the rest of the way around to a point near Digby. Just under 1,000 boats in that area were allowed to leave their wharves at 6 a.m. and can set 375 traps each. Traps may be pulled for the first time Tuesday.

A dozen lobster licenses are also being fished by members of the Acadia First Nation this season. A new written agreement between Ottawa and the Acadia band gives it five lobster licenses this year to add to the seven it received last year in a verbal agreement.

The deal allows the band, with five reserves from Yarmouth to Gold River, Lunenburg County, to harvest lobster for food and for sale. Ottawa also gave the band five lobster boats with gear.

Notably absent from the water Monday were fishermen from the Indian Brook reserve in Hants County.

About 50 Shubenacadie band members originally had planned to take part in the fall fishery but decided against it for fear of losing more equipment to federal officials.

Federal fisheries officers seized eight of their boats and nearly 2,000 traps during the band’s self-regulated summer lobster fishery in St. Mary’s Bay, which ended Oct. 15.