Canada: Commercial lobster fishers gearing up for late November season start in Southwestern Nova Scotia

Commercial fishing wharves throughout southwestern Nova Scotia will soon be full of neatly piled lobster fishing gear, organized just so by each boat’s crew for dumping day, and the start of the 2024-2025 commercial lobster season in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 33 and 34. The opening is always scheduled for the last Monday in November. Weather permitting, the season will get underway on Nov. 25, but it could open one day earlier on Sunday, Nov. 24 if strong winds are forecasted for opening day. Last year in LFA 33, along the province's south shore, the season opened a day ahead of the scheduled Nov. 27, opening, while weather delayed the start in LFA 34 in southwestern Nova Scotia to Dec. 2. In Digby County and the Bay of Fundy, the commercial lobster fishery in LFA 35 opened on Oct. 13 this year, 12 hours ahead of the scheduled Oct. 14 opening. “It’s been going pretty good,” says Digby fisherman Chris Hersey. “Catches are up a little bit from last year I think all around. The ...