Province announces standards for roadside selling of lobsters

The province is launching improved food safety standards for roadside points of sale of lobster.

Vendors selling live lobster roadside will be required to have a food permit similar to other lobster vendors. Traditional direct sales from fishing boats are exempt. "The Health Protection Act states that vendors selling food must have a permit," said Ron Chisholm, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "Food permits ensure live lobster is safely tracked, transported and stored."

Over the winter, in particular last December, many lobster fishermen loaded lobsters in their trucks and hit the roadsides and parking lots locally, in the valley, in Halifax and even in Prince Edward Island, trying to get a higher price than what was being offered to them when they brought their catches ashore.

With shore prices being paid to fishermen were only around $3.50 or lower, fishermen found by selling directly to the public they could get a better price. Many were selling lobsters for around $5 a pound.

The province says permit holders will be required to keep records on their selling activity and present them to the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture when requested. Seafood buyers are already required to keep daily records, and must report buying and selling of certain species weekly to the department.

Sellers may only sell live lobster. The permit does not allow for the sale of cooked lobster.

The department says permits and mandatory reporting are consistent with other jurisdictions and will result in a fair and equitable business environment for all live lobster sellers. "Our food safety system is set up to protect consumers," said Mike Horwich, director of food protection at the Department of Agriculture. "We strive for food safety standards which are applied equally to all in the industry, from the start of food's journey all the way to the consumer."

Vendors can get a food permit online at

www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/paal/agric/paal006.asp

by contacting a food safety specialist in their region, or by calling the food safety section at

902-424-1173.

For copies of the 2009 Lobster Sellers weekly report, visit the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture website at

www.gov.ns.ca/fish/licensing/conditions.shtml

or call fisheries licensing services at 902-424-0335.