Whatever his opponents say about New
Brunswick's Fisheries Minister, they can't say
he's not passionate and enthusiastic about the industry
- mention the word fish and off he goes. Now into
his fourth year as Minister, Rick Doucet admits he
really enjoys the portfolio and has made his feelings
known to the premier.
Doucet has a varied background.
He was elected to the 56th Legislature
September, 2006, and sworn in
as Minister of Fisheries the following
month.
First elected in June, 2003, as the
MLA for Charlotte, he was opposition
critic for interests relating to
fisheries and aquaculture, and for energy.
He was born in Sussex, NB. Following
graduation from Rothesay
Collegiate School and the Holland
College business program, he
worked with a major Canadian airline
in sales and marketing before returning
home to work in the family
retail business.
Lobsters 2010:
A Seasonal Review
By Alain Meuse
How would you make ends meet if you hadn't received
a pay cheque since late November and
here it is mid-February?
This is the situation facing many crewmen aboard
lobster fishing boats in LFA-34 as boat owners continued
to hold on to their catch hoping for higher
prices than being offered since the season opened at
the end of November.
Prices opened in the $4.00 -$4.25 range and hadn't
budged much as of the time of this writing in February.
The Valentine's Day weekend usually sees a spike
in lobster sales, but a perusal of prices being offered
ranged from $4.75-$5.25 for selects and $3.00 for
lower quality.
With border inspections at Calais, Maine becoming
a lot more thorough during the past three months,
shippers have to grade a lot of the product, which has
a direct impact on what fishermen will receive for
their catch.
Some fishermen have stored their lobsters in tank
houses which will make for a better product, but at a
financial cost. But a lot of fishermen store their lobsters
in carts on the waterfront. With temperatures
varying wildly from late November to February, the
impact can be substantial.
Rattlesnakes and Wild Boars
Richibucto Harbour Manager Takes a Hike By Caroline B. Norwood Emery Comeau, 51, has a challenging job. He is
Harbour Manager at Richibucto, NB which is
home to about 85 fishing vessels. It is one of the few
Maritime harbours where fishermen speaking French,
English or MicMac work together. Getting fishermen
from three different cultures to work together at
one wharf was a challenge, he says. But last year he
did the toughest thing he has done in his life - he
hiked the 2175 mile Appalachian Trail.
Emery became Harbour Manager in 2005, shortly
after the Federal government decided to pour $5.3
million into a major expansion of the harbour to accommodate
Native fishermen from the area. "They
decided to hire a manager. It had to be someone with
business experience and someone who could work
with all three cultures.
