The $200 million lobster season is underway in Quebec

The lobster season is underway in Quebec, starting with Saturday's launch in the Gaspé Peninsula.

"For the past 11 years, lobsters caught near the coasts of the Gaspé and Anticosti Island have been marked with an alphanumeric code, which allows consumers to trace the origin of the lobster on their plates, and even to know the name of the fisherman, the boat and the area in which it was caught," said the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) in a news release.

The start of the lobster fishery varies from region to region; the Lower North Shore season starts on May 8, for example.

Approximately 1,500 fishermen earn their living from lobster fishing in Quebec, according to the most recent data from MAPAQ.

"St. Lawrence crustaceans are the pride of coastal regions and are prized on both local and international markets. Our government will continue to support the industry's efforts to eco-certify fisheries," said fisheries minister André Lamontagne. "The lobster fishery provides a boost to the socio-economic activity of coastal regions, particularly those of the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands."

Lamontagne urged "fishermen and fishermen's helpers, whether they are novices or experienced, to be careful when they go out to sea."

Around 30 plants located in the maritime regions hold an authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to process lobster. Landings of this crustacean in Quebec are estimated at more than $201 million annually.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 29, 2023.