TIGNISH — The traditional PEI whaling season has temporarily been shut down for 8 weeks to allow the remaining four lobsters a chance to lay eggs during its mating season.
The lobster – an ornery, ridiculous-looking crustacean that some people actually eat – is known for being a nuisance to divers and whalers alike. Lobsters are common bycatch when whales are targeted.
“I just don’t get it,” says Julie MacDermott, a long-time whaler. “They’re just lobsters. Who cares if they go extinct? It’s not like anyone would miss them. There’s crabs everywhere – aren’t they the same?”
“You take an average person and put a crab and a lobster in front of them. They can’t tell them apart. A bunch of legs, two claws, and live underwater. They’re big bugs in shells, that’s it,” added McDermott.
When asked for comment, an exasperated spokesperson from the Department of Fisheries released a statement saying “Look, do we have to care about everything in the water? No. But we just have to not kill everything we see. Is that too much to ask?”
Whaling season is expected to re-start before the end of the year, whether or not the remaining lobsters successfully lay eggs.
The Islander 