Injunction granted against New Brunswick fishermen protesting lobster prices

By: The Canadian Press

08/10/2012 1:43 PM

The worlds biggest lobster sits not far from the Shediac Lobster shop (background) where fisherman have been protesting the purchase of Maine lobster for a cheaper price, in Shediac, New Brunswick, Thursday, Aug.9, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Marc Grandmaison

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Premier David Alward says he hopes a 10-day court-ordered injunction to prevent fishermen from blocking processing plants will help resolve a simmering dispute over the import of U.S. lobsters.

"It's my expectation, my hope, that the processors will be able to in an orderly fashion continue to process lobster so that it ultimately can create prosperity here in New Brunswick and in our whole region," Alward said Thursday in an interview.

"We need to resolve this through dialogue ultimately, and not through some of the antics that the fishermen were trying to use earlier."

The order is the latest twist in a dispute over lobster prices that came to a head last week, when fishermen held demonstrations in Cap-Pele, N.B., and Shediac, N.B., and trucks were blocked from delivering Maine lobsters to three processors.

Last Friday, lobster processors in the province agreed to pay a minimum of $2.50 per pound for processed lobster and $3 per pound for live market lobster. But the Maritime Fishermen's Union has said New Brunswick fishermen need $4 per pound for both fresh and processed lobster just to break even.

The union did not return messages Thursday seeking comment.

Alward acknowledged that the dispute has tested relations between his province and the state of Maine, where Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe has called on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to raise the matter with federal Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

"It is certainly not making it any easier and I think that is clear," Alward said.

He added that about 60 per cent of New Brunswick's lobster processing industry comes from other jurisdictions, and in turn, the province exports about 85 per cent of that lobster to the U.S.

"So, it's very integrated," he said. "And the ability for our processors to continue to be able to process that lobster, whether it's from Maine, whether it's from New Brunswick, is very important — not only ultimately to the processors, but to the whole industry including the fishermen."

The provincial government has dismissed a request for compensation, saying it had no interest in "bridging gaps in salaries" and would set a bad precedent. Instead, it has offered to extend a loan program, but the union has rejected that.

The lobster season was scheduled to open Thursday in the Northumberland Strait in the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but the federal government delayed that until Monday at the request of the fishermen.

Officials with the union are expected to meet with federal Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield on Friday.

— By Jane Gerster in Halifax.

Fishing Stories

Fishing stories are about the tale of the one that got away. That's all about losing a fish is good for. Your buddies will get a laugh, your friend in the boat might rib you and you will, have to bear the harassment. When fishing in a tournament, the story could be deemed as an excuse. Fishermen are full of excuses. As avid anglers, we should do everything we can to eliminate this.
 Crank baits, jerk baits, are famous for losing fish. These baits have this reputation because of treble hooks. First thing you should do is make sure the hooks are attached to the bait with a split ring... If your hooks do not swing freely, they will lodge, and it will become easier for the fish to throw your bait.
 Spinner baits can have their problems too.  Look at the spinner baits length of the blade arm. On some spinner baits the blade arm is too long. What I mean by too long is that the end of the arm will hit the point of the hook. When the arm is too long, a fish can collapse the wire and cause it to interfere with the hook.
 You can correct this by cutting the top arm right behind the loop that holds the blade. After cutting the arm, put a new loop in.  You can take the end and overlap the shaft. Cut off the excess after locking the loop into place.
 Be sure the hook is sharp.  In the molding process the hook can get a little nicked up.
 Using a trailer hook when fishing open water or sparse cover will increase your landing ratio as well. The trailer hook should be attached with tubing, insulation off an electrical wire, or even crimped on with a pair of pliers.
 When fishing spinner baits, make sure the lure is tuned properly.  The blades should be parallel with the hook. If the bait is lying sideways the hook will be laying at the wrong angle.
 Jigs and soft plastics have the best hook-to-land ratio, but there are a few things you can do to make it even better. Trimming the weed guard on your jigs will help you hook more fish. Trim them at a 45-degree angle to the point of the hook. The last strand should be even with the tip of the hook when compressed. After trimming the end of the weed guard, trim the front strands down about 1/4 of an inch further, this will stiffen the bristles.

Fishing with plastics is usually all about how you rig them. When using the Texas rig ,pull the hook all the way through the worm. With the hook pulled through the worm, lay the hook flat on top of the bait so everything is flush. With the hook flush and the bait straight, pull forward on the worm and slide it back over the hook point. This will keep the bait weed less and streamlined, plus leave less plastic for the hook to travel through on hook set. Playing a fish is just as critical as the components you are fishing with. Never get your hands above your shoulders. This means on the hook set too. When your hands get above your shoulders, you lose leverage, and that's the main advantage you have over a fish. Keep your rod tip low and at an angle to the fish when using crank baits and spinner baits. Keeping the rod tip low will decrease the likelihood of the fish jumping and throwing your bait. Giving a fish slack is the worst thing you can do with any lure.   When flipping and pitching it is important to get a good hook set to move the fish away from the cover as fast as possible. When doing this you still shouldn't get the hands above your shoulders. It is also a bad idea to jerk the fish completely out of the water. This will put slack in the line and the fish has a better chance of throwing your bait.   Breaking off a fish is going to happen but it can be avoided. Keep an eye on your line. Make sure there aren't any nicks or rough spots. If you find some, retie. It costs you nothing to retie.  Another thing to check is the eyelets on your rod. You can do this by running a cotton swab through the eyelets to make sure there are no rough edges.   The next time you're on the water; don't have a fish story about the one that got away. Show them the one that didn't get away.

German Shephard sniffs out illegal lobster

What will the fisheries think of next,soon they will have dogs looking for under size clams.Hope you enjoy the video and look out for the German shepard next time you go on a fishing trip.

Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic

Open year round

Learn about Rum Running, whales and August Gales. Meet lobsters, flounder, cod and more in our aquarium. Enjoy our large collection of Bluenose memorabilia. During our summer season walk the docks, have a yarn with old salts, visit our wharf-side vessels and refresh in the salt air as you take in one of the best maritime moments in the world.If you are visiting Nova Scotia  this summer, why not visit the Fisheries Museum.This is a great place to spend the day.

The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic provides the ultimate waterfront experience, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While at the Museum, you experience life in a fishing community and discover, up close, life at sea. Explore our magnificent aquarium and wharf-side vessels. Take a boat ride or make your way to the Ice House Theatre, where films are shown throughout the day. Browse at your leisure or take a guided tour. Come rain or shine, relax and enjoy! The entire family will enjoy their entertaining visit with us! Become a Dory Mate Help support our Museum, receive regular up-to-date information about what is happening at the Museum and enjoy all of the benefits of being a Dory Mate. details Dory Mates Newsletter - Summer 2012

Shore Lunch

Bush Pilot John Lovelace covers every corner of wilderness Canada documenting his travels and discoveries for the Wings Over Canada television .

If this video makes you want to run  out and fish, I have recipe for a quick shore lunch

• 8 fish fillets, 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled to bite-size pieces
• 1 cup green pepper, cut into strips
• 1/3 cup corn meal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper

Fry the bacon pieces in a large cast-iron skillet until almost crisp. Save a little of the bacon grease (to cook the fish ) and set aside. Add potatoes, green pepper to the skillet. Cook until potatoes are nicely browned and bacon is crisp. While cooking the potatoes shake together the corn meal, flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add the fish, and shake to coat.

Put the potatoes to side of the skillet, then add the bacon grease and heat. Add  fish  without crowding, and cook until the coating is crispy and golden.  and serve piping hot with potatoes on the side.

A meal of fresh, fried fish and potatoes makes an unforgettable treat, a great way to spend a Nova Scotia  Summer Day



                    

How to cook lobster

Get the full recipe: http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2F6pyvzu&session_token=xzPU7WgOYYi8z4JG2bm77d-aI6t8MTM0MjQ0MTg1MUAxMzQyMzU1NDUx Cook fresh lobster without fear using these easy tips.

Here is a recipe that you may want to also look at for your dining pleasure.

Nova Scotia bass fishing

Here is a great video of some bass fishing in Nova Scotia

enjoy

Getting Started

Hello and welcome to the fisherman's net. This blog that I am creating is about situations that we as commerical fisherman run into. I have been in the industry for about 20 years, I made a good living for a long time and enjoyed doing it .I have a commerical clamming licence,but I also had an eel licence, a licence to set hooks for flounder. With these licences, I was able to do quite well. Then one day I get a letter saying that I am no longer able to fish for flounders, because of changes made by the Fisheries.Then they took my eel licence.Now on the Scotia Fundy Region where I have been working ,If we get stopped by the Fisheries, which happens a lot these days and if they find any clams in our catch that don't meet the requirements,we get a 500.00 fine.If we get caught the second time, which would be a nightmare for any of us,we lose our gear plus our truck ,catch plus a 800.00 fine.Our policy today is 0 tolerance,which means no under size clams.When you dig 80 lbs of clams each day,it is easy to make a mistake and the fisheries don't care.My  beef is why not try and help us with our fishing business.Most beaches along the Fundy coast are dig out. Some of the beaches have clams that don't grow because of soil erosion.Why don't the fisheries create programs to reseed these beaches to help us out? If you have similar stories feel free to join in.If we band together we may have a voice.