(Montreal) The lobster fishing season began on Saturday in Gaspésie. The Association of Professional Fishermen of the South of Gaspésie (RPPSG) expects to have a good season, despite climate changes which are disrupting the fishing sector.
The season will extend over a period of 68 days, until July 4. For the 14e year, lobster caught in Gaspésie will be identified with a medallion which will allow consumers to know more about the origin of the crustacean.
The RPPSG expects, after the record season of 2023, that lobster fishing will still be abundant this year. “The lobster is a species that benefits from climate change and water warming. Its distribution seems to be changing in recent years: stocks are in free fall in the south of its distribution area while they are expanding significantly further north, such as in Quebec, where lobster is increasingly abundant,” explains the organization, by means of a press release.
The Group specifies that the year 2024 will also mark the fifteenth year of production of baby lobsters in hatcheries.
“Jean Côté, the biologist and scientific director of the RPPSG, will ensure that nearly 250,000 small lobsters are returned to sea in order to compensate for 3 to 5% of lobster catches,” specifies the same press release.
According to the RPPSG, 158 commercial fishing licenses are active.