LOBSTER SEASON ENDS

May 31, 2004

Another lobster season has come and gone on Brier Island. As of midnight, May 31 all traps must be out of the water or else they face confiscation by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Since the weather plays a factor, fishermen will take their traps out as they are able. This year Sunday May 30th was a fine day and the wharves were filled with activity as everyone pitched in to help.

Some of the lobster boats, such as the Mega Nova pictured here, will transform themselves into whale watching cruise ships. Many of the others will change their gear and head out in search of halibut, cod, haddock and pollock. Never content to be still, the fishermen of Brier Island always seem to have something on the go.

The world of a lobster fisherman is filled with cold, wet and sometimes dangerous conditions. While bigger boats and modern equipment are great aids, it is still skill and experience that bring the crews safely through each season.  Hauling up the last of their traps, they can finally breathe a sigh of relief.