P.E.I. fishermen to offer free lobster in protest

CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island – Anyone looking for some free lobster should head over to Prince Edward Island next Wednesday.

Lobster fishermen will protest the low prices they’re getting by handing out lobster to the public free of charge at a mall in Charlottetown.

“We may as well give them away, for all we are making from the processors now,” said lobsterman Joe Banks.

The Price Protest Lobster Giveaway is being organized by members of the Eastern Kings Fishermen’s Association, who are fed up with what they describe as price manipulation that takes place in the industry every year.

With the soaring price of diesel fuel, and the cost of bait, some fishermen are laying off hired help and going on the water only a few days a week to save costs.

The Canadian lobster season is different from the traditional season in Maine, which accounts for the largest share of lobster landings in the U.S. In Maine, most lobstermen won’t be heading out to fish until June.