Know Your Harvester

Grand Manan Lobster offers the freshest lobster anywhere. Unlike other lobster shippers, we do not store lobsters in tanks or pens in the harbor. When an order comes in, the boat goes out to fill that special order.

And not just any boat . . .

Meet Our Lobstermen

Our fisherman is Deane Griffin, a 7th generation Grand Manan native, who works with his sons, Jordan and Keynan. Deane has acquired an amazing knowledge of the waters between Grand Manan and the coast of Maine, based on his own experience and the experience of his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather, all of whom were fishermen. Because Deane knows where to place the traps on almost any given day, he has a better chance of finding the lobsters of the size you order. Lobsters are harvested using single or multi-trap lines; traps are hauled one at a time.

Here at Grand Manan Lobster, we celebrate the connection between the harvester and the buyer, whether the buyer is an individual, a caterer, or a restaurant chef. "Every day's fishing effort bears a moral responsibility to the island's future generations." Consumers and other food buyers today are very sophisticated, and want to see for themselves where their food is grown or harvested. We try our best to serve this interest. Someone in New York or Vancouver or Chicago can rest assured that our lobsters come from particular waters off Grand Manan Island, and that they are harvested by a particular fisherman, such as Deane Griffin, or his sons, Jordan and Keynan. In time, as business grows, we will bring other lobstermen and their families on board.

Thoughtful Harvesting

In recent years, we frequently hear the term "sustainable fishing," which refers to the maximum amount of ocean animals that can be harvested without causing a decline in the species. In other words, by using "sustainable fishing" the harvest of a species would not exceed its reproductive capacity. This, of course, is an important tool in resource conservation, and a vital element of local Canadian-based fisheries. In addition, applied by governments regionally, nationally or internationally, the concept imposes limits on fishing seasons, regulates the types of harvesting methods that are used, and restricts large-scale factory-style fishing. Canada's fishery management is noted as "among the most complex and sophisticated in the world."

At Grand Manan Lobster, we go beyond "sustainable fishing" to honor the local, multi-generational traditions of Grand Manan Island's fishing community. "Grand Manan Island, located at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy off the coast of New Brunswick between Maine and Nova Scotia, is the pre-eminent lobster fishery in North America." We call it "Thoughtful Harvesting." A catch is truly sustainable when fished with thought and consideration for the catch of the next day, next year and next generation. Every day's fishing effort bears a moral responsibility to the island's future generations. This is the way Grand Manan's close-knit fishing community maintains its continuing livelihood, and we at Grand Manan Lobster are proud participants in such "thoughtful harvesting."

Ideal Habitat

Grand Manan Island, located at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy off the coast of New Brunswick between Maine and Nova Scotia, is the pre-eminent lobster fishery in North America. Lobsters of the utmost quality and flavor are caught off the island, because of the Bay's world-renowned tidal activity -- ranked among the highest on the planet. In addition, cold, oxygenated, highly nutrient-rich waters -- colder than off the coasts of Maine and Nova Scotia -- are circulated by these enormous tides, creating an ideal breeding ground for lobsters. In fact, the waters off Grand Manan are the breeding grounds for most of the lobsters found throughout the Gulf of Maine.

Soft-Shell Lobsters

Most buyers purchase lobsters during the summer months and associate lobsters with the traditional shore dinner or clambake. Typically, summer vacationers travel to coastal areas of Maine and Atlantic Canada to enjoy sun, sand, surf -- and seafood. In summer months, as shallow coastal waters warm up, lobsters migrate inshore to molt (shed their shells) and grow new shells. Often, lobsters purchased in July and August are "soft-shell" lobsters, otherwise known as "new-shell" lobsters or "shedders," which are tasty but contain less meat relative to the amount of shell that you buy. Lobsters shed their shells in the summer to breed. Lobster harvesting in New England and some parts of Maritime Canada is generally geared to serve the summer tourist industry and meet consumption demand worldwide.

The waters surrounding Grand Manan Island are known to host some of the largest breeding populations of lobsters in the Gulf of Maine. For this reason, the Canadian government closes our fishery from July through October. Our fishery is re-opened on the 2nd Tuesday in November, after breeding season has ended.

Conservation Measures

Protection of the lobster stock is managed through a series of conservation measures that reflect the environmental pressures for each of Maritime Canada's Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs). A collaborative effort between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the lobster industry addresses management measures to affect effort reduction. Typically, multi-year integrated management plans are prepared at the local level to ensure that a healthy fishery is maintained. Management plans vary from region to region and even within individual LFAs. Some practices are enforceable by DFO, while others are applied on a voluntary basis. The following represent the key conservation measures utilized by the lobster fishery:

Carapace Size Limit: Minimum (in some cases maximum) lobster carapace size is established for each area, based on the condition of the fishery.

Limited Entry of Licenses: The number of licenses for each LFA is limited and is determined by the management plan.

Seasons: Seasons vary by LFA and incur limited durations to enhance conservation measures (with the exception of the offshore fishery).

Trap Limits: A limit is placed on the number of traps available to each license registered.

Escape Mechanisms: Traps are equipped with escape mechanisms that enable undersized lobsters to exit the trap. Biodegradable panels enable trapped lobsters to escape in the event the trap is lost at sea.

Berried Females (V-notching): In Canada, by law, female lobsters bearing eggs (berried females) must be released. Cutting a small notch (v-notching) in the female's tail prior to release is done on a voluntary basis and identifies the lobster for future release by other fishers.

Female Size Limits: In some areas, minimum and maximum carapace limits are established for female lobsters (window size limit). This ensures that female lobsters at prime breeding size are protected from harvesting. Trap Designs: Regulations and management practices are in place regarding the size and type of trap, and the number of parlors. Limitations are placed on the design of trap entrances, and maximum hoop sizes are regulated.

Fishing Days: Grand Manan Island's area (LFA 38) is closed during the breeding and molting period, from June 29th through the second Tuesday in November, to relax stressful pressures to the lobster population around the island.

Total Allowable Catch (TAC): There is no TAC for the inshore lobster fishery, however it is an important conservation measure for LFA 41, which is the only offshore lobster fishery in Canada (conducted year-round).

The premise underlying conservation measures for protecting our ocean resources are based on the following four principles:

• Conservation
• Protection
• Research
• Technology

Lobsters in Winter

After molting, and as coastal waters once again grow cooler, and then icy during the winter, lobsters (now starting to fill their new shells) migrate once again to deeper water in the Gulf of Maine. Once lobsters arrive in these waters, usually around the middle of January, the lobsters become less mobile. Because of difficult weather conditions and "sleepy" lobsters, our season enters a period of dormancy between January and April. This is the reason our live, Grand Manan Lobster is available during two distinct seasons within our greater managed fishing period.

For a Glossary of lobster terms, go to our Know Your Lobster page

For more information about sustainable harvesting, go to our Slow Food & Sustainability page