Choppy waters

“Some years you do well. Some years you go into debt.” Captain Jocelyn Jalbert has experienced a number of economic downturns in the course of his 35-year career as a fishing captain.

While certain sectors of the Atlantic fishery are managing to get by this year, others, notably the snow crab and lobster fisheries, have taken a hit – with exports to the vital US market plummeting as a result of the recession and high Canadian dollar. At the same time, other important markets - restaurants, grocery chains and whole-sale buyers - have had less access to credit and are also buying less seafood.

As demand drops, so have prices. The price of snow crab has decreased from $1.70 a pound to $1.50, and the price of lobster has gone from $6.25 a $3 or $4 a pound. In the face of such unfriendly market factors, many fishermen are forced to forgo a portion of their salaries - an average of $35,000 yearly. Others decided not to go to sea at all this year.

Some facts

In 2004, Atlantic Canada’s commercial fishing fleet landed 919,560 metric tons (MT) of various species, valued at $1.9 billion, while its Pacific counterpart landed 196,766 metric tons at a value of $344 million.  

The main species landed by the commercial Atlantic fishery in 2004 were: snow crab ($613 million); lobster ($589 million); shrimp ($248 million); and scallop ($119 million).

In 2004 Canada’s commercial fishery was worth about $982 million, less than 1% of the country’s GDP.

Fishermen are considered self-employed by Revenue Canada, and in order to be eligible for employment insurance, they must report a minimum amount of earnings during the 31-week period prior to the claim. This minimum amount varies, according to regional unemployment rates. Fluctuations in price and amount of catch have a direct effect on their earnings.


Sources:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada; CBC; Alliance des pêcheurs professionnels du Québec.