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

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Department of Natural Resources staff member Mark Shaw works to put out fires in the Upper Tantallon area on May 30, 2023. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)

UPDATED TUES., AUG. 5 at 5:20 p.m.

With drought conditions affecting most of Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston announced Tuesday that the province is banning all activities in the woods and on trails, with few exceptions.

“We’re hearing from rural fire departments that are worried about low water levels in the ponds and lakes that they use and really about their overall ability to respond to emergencies,” Houston said at an early afternoon news conference.

“As tinder-dry conditions continue to persist from one end of the province to the other, the risk of wildfires increases and the risk is very, very high right now.

“Effective 4 p.m. today, we’re telling Nova Scotians stay out of the woods. We are restricting travel and activities that really aren’t necessary for most of us. Hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods are not permitted. Trail systems through woods are off limits. Camping is allowed but only in official campgrounds.”

Houston said the fine for violating the new restrictions is the same as flouting the burn ban — $25,000. So far this year, seven people have been fined. Officials didn’t disclose where those fines were levied.

The province implemented a provincewide ban on open fires on July 30. Hot, dry conditions are expected to last in Nova Scotia for at least two weeks. 

“I know it’s inconvenient and I know it’s the height of summer vacation … but we have to stay out of the woods. It’s a small price to pay right now to avoid the kind of devastation we saw from the wildfires in 2023. And nobody wants that.

“We need all Nova scotians to help keep our firefighters safe along wih everyone else by following the measures we’ve put in place. I’m counting on you to do the right thing. Don’t light a campfire, stay out of the woods and stay safe.”

Commercial activities in the woods will also be restricted. Forestry, mining and any other work must be approved by a local Department of Natural Resources office.

Beaches and parks are still open, but any fires are banned. Private landowners may use their own properties but can’t allow others to use their wooded areas.

Fireworks are also part of the ban. In response to a reporter’s question about whether the penalty for setting off fireworks during a burn ban should also be increased to $25,000, the premier said “that sounds like a good idea to me. (It) should be.” It was unclear whether the fine would be increased.

Houston said the move to restrict activities in the woods was made based on advice from Natural Resources officials.

Minister Tory Rushton said Nova Scotia has already had about 100 wildfires so far this year. He said they were extinguished quickly, but the kind of blaze that officials have battled is different.

“The fires we’re seeing right now are burning deeper into the root system and going deep underground and that kind of fire takes a long time to put out which is exhausting our resources,” Rushton said.

“The aim is to limit unnecessary travel in the woods and activities.”

Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, told QCCR on Tuesday that he supports the province’s decision.

“I think that the premier and Minister Rushton are absolutely making the right call and relying on the right people to give them good information,” White said. 

“As much as I want everybody to have recreational opportunities, now is not the time.”

White said his group and others are meeting with provincial officials on Wednesday to find out what the new restrictions mean for major ongoing work on trail maintenance.

“Those are commercial practices, but I suspect that those will be suspended until conditions improve. Obviously, our priority is to protect our woods and that leads to our community, and our friends, family and our firefighters. That’s the No. 1 thing that we’re looking at right now.”

His group and the Queens Rails to Trails Association have posted on their Facebook pages that all trails are closed.

“It’s important that people follow this. The opportunity to use our trails will come again,” White said.

“Our standard line is we’re not just building rails, we’re also building community, and that means working together to keep everybody safe and happy and healthy.”

Parks Canada issued an advisory late Tuesday afternoon (read that here) detailing these closures in Queens County:

• All trails in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
• Backcountry camping at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
• All trails at Kejimkujik National Park Seaside

Front-country camping, beaches, and day-use areas (including Jakes Landing equipment rentals) at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site are still open.

The Region of Queens issued its own news release late Tuesday afternoon with details about which parks and trails are closed in the county. (Read the full news release here.)

The following municipal trails are closed:

• Pine Grove Park, including Anniversary Trail which connects Pine Grove
  Park to the Trestle Trail
• Trestle Trail, including the extension that begins at White Point Road and
  George Street and continues running parallel to George Street to connect
  to the Trestle Trail, ending on Bristol Avenue
• Meadow Pond Trail
• Queens Place Trail

People who use the Trestle Trail or other wooded trails to get to other parts of Liverpool or Queens County should use Queens County Transit or a taxi service while the restrictions are in place, the region says in the release.

Path Lake Park and Scout Camp Park are also closed. Other non-wooded municipal parks throughout Queens such as
Tupper Park, Centennial Park, Privateer Park, Port Medway Lighthouse Park, sports fields and playgrounds remain open.

The covered picnic areas at Beach Meadows Beach Municipal Park are off limits, because they’re surrounded by wooded areas, but the beach is still open.

The municipal leaf and yard waste site in Western Head is also closed immediately. The region will be posting closure notices in those areas affected, the release said.

White pointed out that Queens County has many options for exercise, including beaches, parks, the walking track at Queens Place Emera Centre and the new all-weather outdoor track at Liverpool Regional High School.

“We still have lots of options for recreation,” White said.

Thousands of hectares and many homes were destroyed and thousands of people evacuated in wildfires in May and June 2023 in Shelburne County and Tantallon. 

The restrictions announced last week and Tuesday will stay in place until Oct. 15, or until conditions improve with several days of steady rain.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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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.

Fishermen in West Berlin get their traps ready for Dumping Day. (Rick Conrad)

Fishermen around the South Shore are getting ready for the start of lobster season.

Depending on the weather, Dumping Day will start for Queens County fishermen at 7 a.m. Monday, when vessels race to get to some of the most lucrative fishing grounds in North America to set their traps.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans makes the call on Friday morning based on the forecast. 

Dumping Day can be moved up or delayed by a day if the forecast predicts anything over 26 knots of wind. 

Fishing boat captains can also vote to go a day early or a day later, if they feel conditions are too dangerous.

Bruce Perry fishes out of Port Medway. He was getting his boat ready this week and waiting for the official call to get out on the water. He said he’s looking forward to a good start to the season.

“Just hope there’s a few lobsters everywhere and a good price and some good weather,” he said this week.

The season in lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 goes from the last Monday in November to May 31. LFA 33 includes Queens County and covers the area from Cow Bay to Shelburne. Some 680 vessels fish out of the area.

Dan Fleck, the executive director of Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, said DFO changed the procedure for the Dumping Day start.

In previous years, boats were allowed to untie and wait in the harbour until the opening bell. This year, though, in an effort to make it fairer for all fishermen, DFO has ordered all vessels to stay tied up at the dock.

“And that could be very dangerous in some harbours,” Fleck said in an interview. “We have some ports with five, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 80 boats. It could be tricky, in hours of darkness and vessels loaded and you can’t see.

“It’s an anxious time, everybody wants to get to sea, they want to get to their prime fishing grounds. To have everybody try to untie at the same time, jockeying for position and get out of these wharves, it could be dangerous.”

The first day is a long one. LFA 33 crews can set their traps beginning at 7 a.m., but they can’t start hauling them in until midnight.

“So we have some vessels that will stay out until midnight to start hauling, and some vessels will stay for three or four days,” Fleck says.

Overall catches were down last year, according to DFO. In LFA 33, crews landed 6,881 metric tonnes during the 2023-24 season for a value of $163 million. The year before, 7,692 metric tonnes were landed, valued at $154.8 million.

Fleck says it’s difficult to predict what this season will bring. Fishermen in other areas like LFA 35 in the Bay of Fundy are reporting good catches and getting about $11 a pound, he said.

“Safety’s the most important, make sure everybody gets out there safe and sound, and gets back home the same way.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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The Nova Scotia sportfishing season opened on April 1. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The sportfishing season is now open in Nova Scotia.

The season began on Monday. 

More than 70,000 people get out and fish each year in Nova Scotia, which adds about $70 million to the economy, according to the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

Sportfishers must follow bag limits and other regulations, which include trout management areas. The department encourages people to practise catch-and-release to help support healthy fish populations. It’s also asking people to report any invasive species they might see in lakes and rivers.

Licences are available online and are also available from vendors around the province.

Nova Scotia has 22 barrier-free sportfishing sites across the province, which allow people with mobility issues to enjoy the sport.

There is one barrier-free site in Queens County at Meadow Pond, off 33 White Point Rd. 

Three provincial hatcheries annually stock more than 400 lakes with trout.