Snow crab for Easter

Photo archive, Émy-Jane Déry

Simon Gamache-Fortin

Friday, 16 march 2018 14:46

UPDATE
Friday, 16 march 2018 14:46

Look at this article

RIMOUSKI – The Lower-Laurentian and the Gaspé peninsula will be able to obtain the coveted snow crab just in time for Easter. In the area 17, located in the estuary of the St. Lawrence river, the little egret dropped off on the 27th of march, on the stroke of 5 pm, in order to begin the new fishing season.

If the weather conditions allow for the start, the first shipments should arrive on land on the 28th of march.

“It’s the ice that could have delay. At the present time, the ice conditions are good. We had a conference call on it. There has been a committee of ice. The guys are all okay, because it’s not just Rimouski that part in the fishery, there are The Escoumins, Turret, Matane and Baie-Comeau”, explained René Landry, president of the Association of fishermen of crab in zone 17.

Preparations are well underway for anglers to more than 10 days before the departure for the season 2018 of the crab fishery. The boats will be launched over the next few days.

“It is necessary to prepare our lockers. They are already ready to use, but it is necessary to bring it to the dock, put boats in the water, prepare the crews also, it’s not just the machinery that it takes to wake up”, has shown the fisher Marc Doucet.

The fishery lasts about a month and a half. The workers are in action day and night during this period. The recruitment of aides-pêcheurs is sometimes a challenge.

“It is safe, it is quite difficult at times to recruit young people who want to work in there, but we still managed to find themselves in the world. It is sure that you would like to have people trained a little bit,” said Mr. Doucet.

Excitement in the fish markets

Consumers are waiting for the famous crab forward to every year. At the fish market Gagnon in Rimouski, it is a very busy time where demand is very strong.

The phone does not stop ringing in the days preceding the delivery of the first shipment. Employees respond to nearly 300 calls per day.

“From the end of march beginning of April, it’s crazy. The whole month of April. It is really strong. We don’t know how it’s going to have crabs on board. It is not known ever, it is for that reason that we keep our fingers crossed,” said Eric St-Laurent, manager of the Fish shop Gagnon.

This year, the fish does not take reservations in the first week of the crab fishery because of the too high demand.