Lobster landings during the spring season in Prince Edward Island reached a new all-time high, says Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development Minister Neil LeClair. Preliminary numbers for the 2010 spring lobster season in LFA 24, the north shore of Prince Edward Island, and LFA 26A, the central and eastern portion of the Northumberland Strait, totaled 19.8 million pounds, up 1.6 percent from 2009.
“I am pleased to see a slight increase in landings in both areas, and especially in LFA 26A, where landings have been up for two years in a row,” said Mr. LeClair. “An increase in landings is a good indication of the health of the resource, now and into the future.”
LFA 24 reported landings of 14.6 million pounds in 2010, up one percent over last year. In LFA 26A, landings were reported to be 5.2 million pounds, up 3.2 percent over last year. This marks the second year in a row that lobster landings in LFA 26A have reached the five million pound figure, and are the highest since 2002.
Mr. LeClair said the increase in the shore price this year is a positive sign that the global economy is starting to improve. He said this is good news for fishers, processors and plant workers, but the lobster market still has a long way to go before it fully recovers.
“The department has been working hard to implement the initiatives announced under the Five Point Lobster Plan,” said Mr. LeClair. “Our efforts to support product development, processing innovation, new markets, low-interest loans, rationalization of the fleet and improved sustainability measures will result in a stronger industry in the future.”