Lobster fishermen leave Port Medway early on a November morning to set their traps. (Rick Conrad)

The Canada-China trade deal may be only a few days old, but it’s already having an effect on what lobster fishermen are getting for their catch, according to South Shore-St. Margarets MP Jessica Fancy.

“I’ve been talking to some of the executive directors for some of the different lobster associations in the area and they’re saying as quick as (Sunday), the price has been starting to go up. So they’re seeing this as a huge win.”

The Liberal politician spoke to QCCR on Monday about what the deal means for South Shore lobster and crab fishermen.

About $540 million worth of lobster was caught in the lucrative fishing grounds along the South Shore and around southwestern Nova Scotia last year.

And with the crab industry accounting for another $300 million, Fancy says that protecting those industries is vital for the area.

“Anytime you can get a better price, and not have to be dinged with the tariffs, that’s a good deal for me.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement on Friday that would immediately reduce seafood tariffs to 15 per cent from 25 per cent. 

And on March 1, the tariffs on lobster and crab are set to disappear altogether. The deal lasts until the end of this year. The deal also affects canola, peas, steel and aluminum.

In exchange, Canada will drop its 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles and allow 49,000 into the country each year.

“I was in Shelburne on Saturday night at one of the volunteer firefighter smoker events, and when I stood up to give my remarks, I had five or six men stand up and clapped for me in regards to the tariffs, and I had to stop for a second because I thought, ‘Wow, I, never thought I’d get a standing ovation in Shelburne County’, but it spoke to the importance of that deal, and the hard work that we’ve been doing, since October, in regards to trying to secure it.”

Fancy said she and her provincial counterparts, as well as representatives from the fishing industry, pushed the federal government to get a deal done.

Rick Perkins, the former MP for South Shore-St. Margarets, criticized the deal on his Facebook page. He called Chinese EVs “government-made spy machine cars” and questioned what happens to seafood tariffs next January.

“In regards to the term ‘spy machine’,” Fancy says, “I mean, we’re probably both holding a cell phone right now. So it’s kind of null and void and it’s unhelpful rhetoric in regards to the trade deal or what we are allowing in or out of the country.”

Fancy says the Canadian government plans to take the next nine months to continue talking trade with China, to try to get a longer term deal done.

“I’m going to use the analogy, as an educator, you know, when you have people in the playground, and they get upset with each other, and they have a fight, and you bring them in and you talk to them, you’re not going to repair that relationship overnight. So you’re not going to put in these lock and step long-term deals. You’re going to wait and look at how that relationship redevelops.”

She said she’ll travel to Ottawa later this week for Liberal caucus meetings where MPs will get a look at the deal in more detail. But she said she hopes this is just the beginning of more trade for South Shore fishermen.

“We’re seeing this as a huge win. … And it paves the way to resolve some of those long-standing trade barriers that were affecting different sectors.”

China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States. The government says it wants to increase exports to China by 50 per cent by 2030.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Wendell McKay and Victoria Hopkins of Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack in Barrington Passage, winners of the 2025 Lobster Roll-Off. (Rick Conrad/File)

One of the signature events of the 2026 Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl cracks open in early February at the Quarterdeck Resort in Summerville.

Described by organizers as “marvellous mayhem with mayo”, the Lobster Roll-Off is scheduled for Tues., Feb. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The good-natured but fierce competition invites chefs from around the South Shore to show off their lobster roll skills. The winner of the judged event will get bragging rights for their mouth-watering creation as the top roll on the South Shore.

National and international travel media make up the judging panel.

“This event is where culinary creativity, community pride, and the world’s best lobster come together,” Stephanie Miller Vincent, co-ordinator of South Shore Tourism Cooperative, said in a new release. 

“It’s not a competition, it’s a spotlight. And our chefs know how to rise to it.”

About 100 guests are expected for the fun- and lobster-filled event.

Restaurants who want to compete in the 2026 Lobster Roll-Off can register now. They must be a South Shore Tourism Cooperative member, serve the same lobster in-house for the whole month of February and be located on Nova Scotia’s South Shore.

Tickets are available at lobstercrawl.ca 

Lobster boats leave Port Medway on Monday morning to set their traps on the opening day of the season. (Rick Conrad)

Hundreds of boats and thousands of fishermen set out early Monday morning from wharves along the South Shore for the opening day of lobster season.

Traditionally known as Dumping Day, it’s the first time that crews get out to set their traps for the biggest commercial lobster fishery in Canada.

Family and community members were on the wharf in Port Medway before sunrise to bid good luck to the 10 boats that left just after 7 a.m.

Jillian Perry drove from P.E.I. to see off her husband Bruce on his vessel All A’Boat Me. It’s his fourth season fishing with his own boat. The Island resident lives in Port Medway while he’s fishing.

“It’s just a really big day in the season,” she said. “It can be dangerous, but it’s also exciting. It’s the start of a new season and we just hope for the best and it’s always good luck to come over and wish everyone good luck on their big day.”

Claudine Bulley of Liverpool was also at the wharf on Monday morning to watch her boyfriend Nick Conrad head out on Donkey Riding.

“It’s a tradition to come down and watch them go because it’s the first day of the season. It’s quite exciting too, just to see the season start and see what the catch is going to be.”

Just under 1,700 vessels and 10,000 people headed out from Cow Bay to Digby County on Monday to try to get the best fishing spots. The area’s lobster fishery brought in about $540 million and 21,500 metric tonnes in 2024-25, according to preliminary figures supplied by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

More than 7,100 tonnes of lobster was caught in 2024-25 in LFA 33, the area from Cow Bay to Shelburne, which was worth over $180 million.

In the larger LFA 34, which covers Digby and Yarmouth counties, fishermen caught more than 14,400 tonnes for a value of about $360 million.

Crews had good weather on Monday to start the season.

“I’ve checked with several captains throughout 33 and 34 and as far as I’m aware at this time, nothing, not a breakdown, no ropes caught in the gear,” Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, told QCCR Monday afternoon.

“Everybody safe and the gear is getting set in the water, no issues to report. A beautiful day on the water though, gorgeous day.”

Fleck said it’s too early to know what the opening price will be this year. But he said fishermen in the Bay of Fundy are getting $10 a pound. The opening price last year was $11 a pound.

“If you look at what the captains are facing now, mackerel is, I think, $2.35 a pound for bait that’s just for mackerel. Herring’s expensive. Everything keeps going up except the price of lobsters.”

Fleck says fishermen are also keeping an eye on tariffs. China imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster in March, though so far, the U.S. has held off.

And he said fishermen in some areas off Digby and Yarmouth counties last year had to deal with female Jonah crabs getting into their traps early in the season and eating their bait. That led to lower catches for some.

“We had exorbitant numbers of female Jonah crabs which are illegal to possess bycatch or do anything with them, so people are just literally dumping out the traps. We see those numbers have dissipated quite a bit from last year, so we’re just hoping they haven’t moved into anybody else’s traps.”

There are 678 licence holders in LFA 33, with each limited to 250 traps per licence. There are 978 vessels in LFA 34, with each licence limited to 375 traps. The season runs until May 31.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Rick Perkins is the Conservative candidate in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Perkins photo)

Rick Perkins is trying to hold onto the South Shore-St. Margarets seat for the Conservative Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.

He was first elected in 2021, ousting Liberal MP and then Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan by about 1,800 votes.

He’s up against Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, Green Party candidate Mark Embrett, People’s Party of Canada candidate Patrick Boyd and Independent Hayden Henderson.

The riding covers more than 8,000 square kilometres and stretches from Tantallon outside Halifax to Clark’s Harbour in southwestern Nova Scotia. It was redrawn after the 2021 election and lost some its areas to the riding of Halifax West.

This is the first in a series of interviews QCCR conducted with candidates about some issues specific to Queens County.

The interview was recorded on April 3 and edited for length.

Listen to our interview with Rick Perkins here:

Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Conrad)

Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.

The consultant and hobby farmer lives in Sable River, Shelburne Co., and is a first-time candidate.

Conservative incumbent Rick Perkins, Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Greens’ Mark Embrett and Independent Hayden Henderson are the other candidates.

This is another in our series of interviews with candidates in the riding.

We asked Boyd about his and his party’s views on immigration and the temporary foreign worker program, as well as the commercial fishery and the prospect of a new kraft pulp mill in Queens County.

The interview was recorded on April 11 and edited for length.

Listen to our interview with Patrick Boyd below:

Lobster boats leave Port Medway Harbour early Tuesday morning on Dumping Day. (Rick Conrad)

More than 1,400 fishing boats left wharves early this morning along the South Shore as lobster season got underway in southwestern Nova Scotia.

Known as Dumping Day, it’s the day that fishermen set their traps in some of North America’s most lucrative lobster grounds. Nova Scotia exported more than $1.3 billion of lobster last year.

Dumping Day was delayed by a day this year because of weather.

Catches were down overall last year, but still accounted for about $318 million.

Some 680 vessels from Queens County motored out at 7 a.m.

Dozens of family and community members were at the wharf in Port Medway to wish fishermen a safe season, which wraps up at the end of May.

Here are some of the people and sounds from the morning.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

QCCR acknowledges the support of the Community Radio Fund of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative.

Lobster traps on the wharf in Port Medway. Fishermen head out to start their season on Tuesday morning. (Rick Conrad)

Queens County fishermen will be heading out to set their traps on Tuesday morning at 7.

Known as Dumping Day, the first day of lobster season on the South Shore is usually the last Monday in November. But weather delayed the opening this year to Tuesday.

Lobster fishing area 33 covers ports from Cow Bay to Shelburne, while LFA 34 takes in the rest of southwestern Nova Scotia and Digby county.

Fishermen in LFA 34 will head out at 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

About 680 vessels fish out of LFA 33, according to the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association.

The first day can be a long one. While LFA 33 crews can set their traps beginning at 7 a.m., they can’t start hauling them in until midnight. Some boats come back to port, but others decide to stay on the water for a few days.

Lobster is Nova Scotia’s biggest seafood export, with $1.3 billion shipped out of the province in 2023.

According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, overall catches in LFAs 33 and 34 were down last year, but still combined for a value of almost $318 million.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

QCCR acknowledges the support of the Community Radio Fund of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative.

Ronnie Conrad on the West Berlin Wharf on Friday, on the last day of lobster fishing season. (Rick Conrad)

Friday was the last day of lobster fishing season on Nova Scotia’s South Shore.

And fishermen at wharves in Queens County say it was a good one.

Ronnie Conrad of West Berlin has been fishing for 44 years. He said conditions on the water were rougher than last year, with more wind, but catches were up. 

“(It’s) been a real good season. It started off good, but it didn’t sound like it was going to be a real good season all over, but I call it a real good season.

“We were up probably stock-wise another 25, 30 per cent.”

Almost 1,700 licensed vessels fish along Nova Scotia’s southwestern shore, from Cow Bay near Halifax, around the southwestern end of the province to the Bay of Fundy.

The season opened in lobster fishing area 33 on Nov. 26. That’s the area from Cow Bay to Shelburne. And it began a couple of days later in LFA 34, which takes in the rest of southwestern Nova Scotia to Digby County. 

Conrad said he thinks most fishermen in both districts did well.

“Overall, I think everybody came out pretty good. Southwest, District 34, was down all fall and all winter, but they had a real good spring. So that was a plus for them.”

He said he usually fishes about 25 kilometres off shore in the winter time, leaving at 3 in the morning and getting back about 12 hours later. And for the first few days of the season, if catches are good, he and his crew will be out for up to 20 hours, hauling as many as 500 traps total, double what they would do on a normal day.

This year, though, he decided to stick closer to the coast.

“Normally, I go out there probably about 16, 17 miles in the wintertime. But this year, I didn’t venture out that far because there weren’t any lobsters offshore.

“It got cold quick. It started off colder than last year too. It keeps the catch down. Lobster won’t crawl in cold water. This spring it warmed up quick and we had an excellent spring. Everywhere along the coast we had a real good spring.”

Lobster fisherman Mike Mattatall unloaded his last catch of the season at the wharf in Port Medway on Friday. (Rick Conrad)

38-year-old Mike Mattatall from Sable River has been fishing most of his life. For the past three years, he’s had his own boat out of Port Medway. 

“Every season is so different. Last year was probably a little more in catch, but the average price through the winter helped sell some more lobsters through (last) winter because the water was warmer. Colder water made the winter pretty slow this year.”

Mattatall said prices started out around $9 a pound this season, went up as high as $20 in the winter when the catch was scarce and settled around $7 a pound this spring.

Just because the season’s over, though, it doesn’t mean the work stops. Fishermen will spend the summer and fall fixing up their boats, building new traps and spending some time with their families.

But you won’t hear people like Mattatall and Conrad complain.

“It’s a lifestyle, though. I don’t really know what it is, comparable to other kind of work. You’d probably have to come do it and tell me how much different it is than your job. It depends on who you are. We don’t find it hard. We like it.”

Conrad says he’s not going to retire yet.

“My wife wants me to be done now, but the money’s just too good yet, so I’m gonna hang in for another year or two anyway.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Lucy the Lobster saw her shadow in Barrington on Friday morning. (Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl photo)

By Rick Conrad

Lucy the Lobster didn’t crack a sweat when she saw her shelly shadow on the wharf in Barrington on Friday morning.

That means six more weeks of winter, at least for the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

Lucy made her prediction as the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl Festival kicked into high gear. It’s a whole month of shellabrations along the South Shore involving the scrumptious crustacean.

Nova Scotia’s official winter prognosticator had a different prediction. Shubenacadie Sam did not see his shadow, which means spring is around the corner.

Stephanie Miller Vincent, co-ordinator of the lobster crawl, said it was prime shadow-seeing conditions in Barrington. 

“We had sunshine, I’m sorry that they didn’t in Shubenacadie. We were there. We believe what Lucy saw.”

Now, Lucy gets to hang out in a tank at Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack in Barrington Passage for the rest of the lobster crawl.

“Lucy is spending some time at the spa. You can pop in and take a shellfie with her while she relaxes for the rest of the month of February.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil addresses reporters after cabinet meeting. Photo credit: Nova Scotia Government

Premier Stephen McNeil is once again calling for all sides of the indigenous fishing dispute taking place on the province’s South Shore to sit down and talk out their issues.

McNeil made the statement at a press conference following Thursday’s cabinet meeting.

The premier said federal fisheries minister and MP for South-Shore St.Margarets Bernadette Jordan and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans need to take a lead to get all sides to the table.

His statement comes after a night of violence saw hundreds of commercial fishers gathered in New Edinburgh set a van on fire and steal and destroy hundreds of pounds of lobster.

Tensions between indigenous and non-indigenous fishers have erupted since the Sipekne’katik band asserted their rights to a moderate living and launched a fishery outside of the season designated by DFO.

McNeil warned anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands risks enflaming an already volatile situation.

“Is only going to continue to deepen wounds, deepen the distrust and people need to understand this is a very difficult issue. There are people on all sides who believe they’re right and what we need is the federal minister to sit down with both sides in the room,” said McNeil.

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan issued a statement ahead of last nights events condemning the escalation of this dispute which read, “I am appalled by the reported events in Digby County last night and I strongly condemn the actions of every individual who destroyed property, committed violence, or uttered threats. There is no place for this kind of violence or intimidation.

I am particularly disturbed to hear reports of racist comments and actions made towards First Nations peoples. This is unacceptable and we all have a responsibility to call out and condemn this kind of behaviour and language.

I am very relieved that no injuries have been reported. Right now, I am calling on everyone involved to take a step back, and bring calm and understanding to the situation.

Our Government is seized with the issue, and we will continue to work with both First Nations and industry leadership to find a path forward. Our conversations to date have been positive, and we must ensure they continue that way.

Progress cannot be made if individuals resort to violence.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also weighed in on the recent events.

In a release, Trudeau said, “The acts of violence and intimidation committed in Digby County yesterday are unacceptable, and I join Minister Jordan in strongly condemning them. We cannot continue down this path. We must work together to advance reconciliation and implement First Nation treaty rights.”

The premier was asked how satisfied he is with the federal response.

“I’m extremely disappointed quite frankly, that we are in a position where they’re not sitting at the table to find what is a workable solution,” said McNeil. “There are going to have to be difficult conversations. I think both sides know this.”

McNeil said the only influence the province has over the situation is the issuing of buying licenses. They’re waiting for the national government to determine what is a moderate livelihood before they can adjust their policies around buying licenses accordingly.

“No matter how much I want to resolve this issue, I don’t have any authority to do so,” said McNeil. “That’s why it’s critical for the national government to be there. It’s why, in my humble opinion, the chiefs need to focus on the national government and bring the national government to the table and deal with both sides. Not only the national government but the traditional fishery and the industry that’s in this province.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson