Shea comes to Island with lobster suggestions

Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was on P.E.I. Friday, bringing promises of some help to a lobster industry facing poor demand for its product and the lowest prices in decades.

Shea, who represents awestern P.E.I. riding, said she's looking at a number of ways to help fishermen and the processing companies through this year's difficulties. She's working on changes that would help fishermen who otherwise might not qualify for EI this year and with the P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association about money for lobster marketing.

The federal government is also looking at buying some fishermen out of the industry, not just because it might help those remaining make a living, but also because the Northumberland Strait fishery is not considered sustainable.

"We are facing this ecocertification requirement. The market will require that our products will be ecocertified before they will be able to be sold in major stores," Shea told CBC News.

"Our products will have to come from a sustainable fishery, and in order to meet those requirements we actually have to do the rationalization process."

Shea is also hoping to work with the Federal Business Development Bank to get processors some operating capital, so that they have the cash to buy more lobster.