Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
Canada's Lobster Eldorado
THE lobster is an animal active mainly at night. Generally, it takes shelter in crevices or under rocks during the day and provides for its needs in depths of less than fifty meters. In Canada, the southern St. Lawrence and the waters of Nova Scotia are full of lobsters. Quebec and New Brunswick are also places rich in these crustaceans.
Lobster: the king of crustaceans
In Quebec, lobster is an essential spring culinary product of the festival. It is very popular with Quebecers. Lobsters are served in restaurants. According to reality and historical facts, the arrival of the first lobsters on the market in May is a very important event in Quebec supermarkets. This moment showcases lobster everywhere: at gatherings, at community dinners and at festivals. Like other crustaceans, lobsters have a hard shell or exoskeleton, brown to olive green in colour, sometimes identifiable by its many black, orange or red speckles. Lobsters can live longer and weigh more than eighteen kilograms. They can reach up to 60 cm in length. They have five pairs of legs, which are used for moving, including chelipeds or large claws, as well as two pairs of antennae. The jointed appendages on its abdomen are often used by the female to carry eggs. Its tail includes four fins, otherwise called uropods, and is formed by the telson. The lobster changes throughout its life, usually when the water temperature increases.
Will the Gulf of St. Lawrence become a new lobster El Dorado?
The more or less significant increase in water temperature is encouraging lobsters to move upstream from the American coast to Canada. Of course, Anticosti Island has never enjoyed a reputation for the quality of its lobster fishing. But, in the last few years, this area has become a gold mine for fishermen who venture there. For some fishermen from the Magdalen Islands, Gaspésie and the Lower North Shore, Anticosti is becoming an island full of treasure. According to statistics on fisheries and oceans in Canada, Anticosti Island is on its way to becoming the new El Dorado for lobsters in this country. In fact, the number of lobsters caught by fishermen operating in this area is four times more than the number caught ten years ago. And the question arises: is our ecosystem able to support this large quantity of lobsters? Researchers have provided many reasons for this rise. Some of them confirm that the phenomenon linked to the warming of the Gulf waters may be the cause. According to the researchers' opinions, lobsters do not walk on the ocean floor, from New England to Canada. The phenomenon is rather explained by the dispersion, caused by ocean currents, of lobster larvae everywhere at the time of reproduction. However, the northern part of the Gulf provides very little heat to ensure the survival of young lobsters.
Nova Scotia is a place rich in lobster, but of lower quality.
According to the industry, the quality of the lobster fishery in the southwest part of Nova Scotia is not favourable for a third of the fishing season. According to the explanations given by some fishermen, it appears that the shells of lobsters recently caught contain little flesh. In reality, the thing is not the same as before; twenty or thirty years ago, their shells were always hard and contained a sufficient quantity of meat.
Shediac: The Lobster Capital of the World
The culinary experience offered by fresh lobster is unmatched: choosing a lobster, appreciating its flesh which has a pleasant flavour, bathing it in melted butter… In New Brunswick, all seafood products that bring great taste pleasure are on the menu. In addition, New Brunswick is among the exporters of marine animals consumed by humans in Canada. In rural coastal areas, the activity of catching crustaceans, fish or molluscs for commercial profit is a fundamental element of the market environment of the province. As you travel along the coast, you will discover villages and fishermen who are friendly and hospitable.
There is excitement in the air as the fishing season begins. It varies across the province. You are advised to inquire if you want to become a participant in the festivities.
Enjoy a tasty lobster to start your adventure in Shediac, a charming little corner of paradise, soothed by the sea of the eastern coast of New Brunswick. The small town of Shediac enjoys a reputation for its fishing, its famous lobster festival, its processing plants, its basins designed to preserve live lobsters.
Quebec lobster
A large quantity of lobsters are found in Blanc-Sablon, in the easternmost municipality of Quebec, on the Lower North Shore, one of the least known regions of Quebec. This is confirmed by the results of a study conducted by a researcher from the University of New Brunswick. A good lobster comes from a rocky bottom and a good region. It is caught early in the season, in cold water. This crustacean is fished in particular in Gaspésie and the Magdalen Islands. But, ultimately, the lobsters caught in these two places are typical Canadian seafood. They are highly prized in many countries.
When is lobster season?
In Quebec, the lobster season is at its peak, every year between the end of April and the end of June. But, like snow crab, usually, the melting of the ice is the precursor to the arrival of the decapod fishing season (lobsters, etc.). During this period, the abundance of lobsters is surprising and their prices are competitive at local fish stores. But, the big period so eagerly awaited by Canadians generally begins around mid-May and ends around mid-June.
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