Canadian lobster is one of the ocean’s most tantalizing delicacies. Once a cook knows more about the numerous product forms, how and where to buy and how to store and prepare, lobster is something any chef can enjoy preparing.

Thousands of passionate, hard-working Atlantic Canadians work together to manage 41 unique harvesting areas throughout our region. With generations of expertise, we’re proud to harvest, process, and distribute the most renowned, delicious lobster in the world to restaurants, retailers, and consumers in every imaginable market.

Our lobster sector reflects the natural wealth of our Atlantic coast: the cold and clear waters preferred by the prized Homarus americanus, high quality premium products, honest and hard-working people, and a celebrated history of hospitality and ingenuity on the sea.

Over half the world’s lobster comes from Canada.

The lobster fishery is carefully structured and managed with some of the world’s most stringent guidelines for optimal sustainability and the highest quality lobster, year-round. The region’s waters are divided into Lobster Fishing Areas, each with its own season, varying in length from eight weeks to six months.

The Canadian lobster industry brings sustainable economic well-being to hundreds of communities in five provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.

The Canadian lobster fishery is the most strictly managed in the world. We preserve the health and stability of the Homarus americanus population, balancing how much we take today to protect for the future.

• 50% of Canadian lobster is shipped live
• 50% is processed into fresh and frozen products

The Canadian Lobster season peaks in the spring and late fall, allowing soft-shelled lobsters to moult during the summer. We stagger our seasons by region to balance availability, and to give our lobster population time to grow.

Our harvesters attach traps to a rope and a buoy to minimize the impact on the sea floor. Each fisherman has a specific number of traps – typically 200 to 375 – that he or she can harvest within a specific season.

We release egg-bearing females and juveniles below a certain size to ensure the healthy population and sustainability of this incredible natural resource.

After hauling in the traps, harvesters keep live lobsters in tidal pounds, dryland pound systems and inland seawater holding tanks that mimic the natural environment. They monitor water purity and optimal temperature, so all lobsters are in peak condition for shipping.

Lobsters are harvested across eastern Canada, from the five provinces that include Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Harvested lobster is sold live and in hundreds of processed forms, including fresh lobster meat and frozen tails, meat, whole in-shell, high pressure processing and many other specialized products.

The Government of Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans Canada works closely with our industry to plan where and when lobster is fished (Licensed Fishing Areas, or LFAs). Each of the 41 LFAs has its own allowable fishing season, varying in length from eight weeks to six months.

In Canada, we stagger our lobster seasons throughout 41 lobster fishing areas to take advantage of the unique moulting periods of particular waters. This helps us ensure the majority of our harvested lobsters are hard-shelled, which provides a premium dining experience and the best value.

The Canadian Lobster season peaks in the spring and late fall, allowing some breathing room for moulting during the summer (this is when lobsters are soft-shelled). We stagger our seasons by region to balance availability, and to give our Lobster population time to grow.

Modern processing methods lock in the highest quality and flavour, straight from the boat, allowing access to the best of Canadian lobster all year round.

Did you know: Quick freezing whole cooked lobsters and processed meat preserves the natural juices and flavours.