Madam Speaker, the lobster season in southwest Nova Scotia, Canada’s most lucrative fishing season, opened on Wednesday morning.
Fishermen set out on the harsh North Atlantic in the early hours to set their traps, with great anticipation of what the new season may bring, while families at home pray for the safe return of their loved ones. The work is gruelling and dangerous. Howling winds, frigid temperatures and unpredictable waves at sea create working conditions that many of us could only imagine.
In coastal communities along the South Shore, the lobster industry is the main economic driver. Families depend on a thriving lobster season to pay the bills and to put food on the table. I hope everyone in the House will join me in wishing all the fishermen in LFAs 33 and 34 a safe, successful and prosperous lobster-fishing season.