Department Supports Lobster Science Initiative

AGRICULTURE/FISHERIES--Department Supports Lobster Science Initiative

Research that may help Nova Scotia fishermen find fuller, harder- shelled lobsters for markets is receiving a helping hand from the province.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is contributing $58,000 to a lobster quality monitoring project, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Chris d'Entremont said today, March 9.

The project monitors the timing of the lobsters' natural molt cycle; the process by which lobsters grow a new shell and discard the old one. The timing of the molt directly influences lobster quality because time is required after the molt to return to top market condition.

"The lobster fishery is an important industry. It is imperative that we support scientific work that will further our biological understanding of lobsters. Despite our success in this fishery there are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to lobster biology," said Mr. d'Entremont.

The Fishermen and Scientists Research Society will receive the $58,000 contribution to pay for sampling costs associated with the 2005 LFA 33 & 34 Lobster Quality Monitoring project. The province will partner with the industry, the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the project.

"The lobster industry is the backbone of the rural economy in southwestern Nova Scotia and we must work together to ensure its continued success," said Mr. d'Entremont.

Nova Scotia's seafood industry is worth an estimated billion dollars annually.