Maritime provinces appoint lobster panel

Fisheries ministers from the Maritime provinces have named a three-member independent panel to examine slumping lobster prices in the region.

The ministers made the announcement late Friday after a meeting in Fredericton.

New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Michael Olscamp says the panel has been asked to take a close look at the industry, but to also recognize the differences in each province.

The panelists are:

• New Brunswick's Gilles Theriault, a longtime fishing consultant
• Nova Scotia's John Hanlon, a retired manager with the federal Fisheries Department
• Prince Edward Island's Lewie Creed, a former provincial deputy minister of fisheries

The ministers also agreed to work on marketing initiatives as well as reaching out to their counterparts in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Maine and the federal government.

The panel's report is expected in September.