Setting Out Day
Many fishers in West Point Harbour fish lobster. The area of water they fish is called lobster fishing area (LFA) 25. The season runs approximately 10 weeks, beginning in August and ending in October. The first day of the season is called setting out day. Each fisher has 240 traps which are taken out in 3 to 4 loads, checked pretty much daily for the season, and then brought back to land when the season is done. It is a bit of a tradition to go to the wharf early on setting out day to watch the first load go out at 6:00 AM. I clipped together a few video shots of what it was like this morning:
The traps are repaired and new ones are built during the off season and brought to the wharf in the weeks leading up to setting out day. Here are a few pictures of the harbour on the days leading up to today and one from this morning.
For more information on lobster fishing in eastern Canada, see http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Gulf/Lobster-Information/Lobster-Fisheries-Management/2011-Lobster-Management-Measures.