Canadian crab, lobster industry officials look for answers in Boston

Canadian crab and lobster industry representatives, including some from New Brunswick, will be looking for answers and opportunities at a seafood exhibition in Boston.

The goal is to develop relations with other industry players as Canada faces tariff troubles with both the U.S. and China.

The U.S. has postponed 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods until April 2, but China's tariffs that target Canadian crab and lobster will come into effect March 20, according to a previous CBC report.

"It's going to be very difficult to settle on prices given that we have to build in that the tariffs are happening," said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada. 

"Most of our live lobster is sold, so we're coming into the spring with a fairly blank slate knowing that we're going to have a significant amount of lobster in April and May and June."

The expo attracts many countries. Major seafood exporters set up booths at the show.

"I'll be looking to see what they do, how they do it, how they pay for it, and try to bring that home, and once again attempt to come up with a marketing strategy for all Canadian seafood," said Irvine.

He said there is another seafood expo in Spain this May to discuss the European market. Irvine said he is also in talks with customers in China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"I fully expect that a lot of our exporters will switch as much of their sales to other markets as they can," he said. "But keeping in mind that the United States is by far our biggest market and we must sell a significant amount of our products here, and we will."

Gilles Theriault, the executive director of the New Brunswick Crab Processors Association, will also be in Boston.

He said his goal is to return with an understanding about who — the buyer or the seller — would bear the extra cost of tariffs.

It would either mean an expensive product for the customer or a loss for the fisher, he said.

He said inflated prices in the U.S. could lead consumers to avoid expensive lobsters and crabs until the off-season.

He said if that happens, it may complicate how the fishers get paid as the product would have to be stored and rates would likely change.

Theriault is also looking to develop new markets possibly in Europe and Asia.

"People have to understand that you don't develop these markets overnight, it takes time, it takes years sometimes," he said. 

Irvine said there certainly is a high demand in the American market for Canadian seafood, regardless of tariffs, and it is just a question of sorting out the best price that would work through the supply chain.

He said he met a number of Americans on Friday night and their reaction fascinated him. 

"They were apologetic," he said. "They were empathetic. I think we have a real opportunity in America to appeal to Americans who support us."

He said he is optimistic about the outcome. He said anything else could lead to "a meltdown" for the Canadian lobster industry.

"It has to go as I expect it to go. This is … our biggest market by far."