Bad harvest seen for Canadian lobsters

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Warmer than usual Atlantic Ocean temperatures are resulting in a lower quality of lobsters after a week of harvesting, fishermen in Nova Scotia say.

Although the number of lobsters is about average, this year many of the crustaceans have softer-than-usual shells, fisherman Ashton Spinney told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Tuesday.

He said water in the fishing zones is about 10 degrees, warmer by several degrees than usual.

That causes stress to the lobsters and their shells don't harden as they would in colder waters, the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, said.

In turn, soft lobsters must be processed more quickly to avoid spoilage and the shelf life of the meat is diminished, the report said. Accordingly, soft lobsters don't keep long enough to reach the European markets, the CBC said.

"As advised in the past, extra caution should be taken when deciding what product can be stored for later sale," the veterinary center said in a report to fishermen and processors.