The threat of customs tariffs shakes Gaspé lobstermen

During this winter period when neither boats nor traps are in the water, Gaspé lobster fishermen are increasingly worried by the threat from American President-elect Donald Trump to impose customs tariffs of 25% on Canadian products.

The main market for Canadian lobster being that of the United States, lobstermen fear major impacts on their portfolio. We really don’t know what to expect. It’s certain that it will have another impact that will affect us on the price, it’s official, but we don’t know, we’re waiting and we’ll find out when we go fishingsays Daniel Boulay, a lobster fisherman for 25 years.

Mr. Boulay adds that the fishermen of the Regroupement des Pechers Professionnels du Sud de la Gaspésie (RPPSG) have been advised by the industry to expect drops in the price of lobster as soon as fishing begins in Gaspésie.

This is also what the lobsterman, Marc-Antoine Élément, fears. He anticipates a glut of lobster on the domestic market. This news comes in addition to the issuance of new exploratory fishing permits in the spring.If we arrive with a volume of lobster that has not been taken into consideration for the market, without a study carried out, what price will we arrive at?asks Mr. Element.

We are not expecting a very, very happy season.

Exploratory fishing that still worries

Like some of their fellow fishermen and RPPSGDaniel Boulay and Marc-Antoine Élément deplore the lack of information surrounding the issuance of these new permits in zone 19, which extends from Cap-Gaspé to Cacouna.

The plan to acquire knowledge and develop the lobster fishery, announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the end of December, aims to assess whether stocks in area 19 can support future commercial fishing. These exploratory permits will be reserved for indigenous fishermen and those from fleets in difficulty such as shrimp or Greenland halibut fishermen.

Ultimately, after three phases of permit issuance, the number of traps would increase from 3,000 to 7,750 in zone 19.

What worries fishermen is that Ottawa does not exclude the five sub-zones where there is already a commercial fishery, exploited by eight fishermen. The latter fear a fall in prices, but also overfishing and bankruptcy for some who have just purchased their license at a high price.

It is clear that these are commercial fishing licenses disguised as exploratory fishing licenses […] I don’t even think it was their idea to listen to us. They did not come to us with any figures regarding economic viability, any figures regarding resources.adds Mr. Element.

Marc-Antoine Élément and his father Charley have just invested more than $800,000 to buy a new fishing boat.

In my sub-zone, from what we can see, after the three phases, we would have 950 more traps. We would be at a 112% increase in fishing effortsupports Daniel Boulay, without being against the principle of exploratory fishing.

Even if lobster fishing has been good for several years off the Gaspé Peninsula, the arrival of these exploratory permits could, according to them, jeopardize the profitability of the business that the young fisherman plans to buy from his father.

As for the federal exploratory fishing plan, those responsible explain that 70% of the permits granted will be done outside commercial fishing sectors and that the objectives of the plan will be reviewed based on stocks.

According to the report by Martin Toulgoat.