A Cape Breton lobster fisherman has told a legislature committee that rising water temperatures are hurting the lobster business. Osborne Burke, manager of Victoria Co-op Fisherie, estimates 227,000 kilograms of lobster have gone to the dump this year, including nearly 23,000 kilograms from his operation. Burke says the problem is there aren't enough chilled tanks to hold the lobster that fishermen have caught. The excess lobsters were held in pens in the harbour, but the water temperature has increased, leaving the crustaceans weakened. Burke says there wasn't enough market demand to sell them quickly. After some tough years, Burke says the industry needs help from the province to add more chilled capacity.
