| dc.description | The lobster industry is the largest and most valuable fishery in Canada, generating revenues exceeding $1 billion annually. Although it is an economically rich industry, there are many actors within the seafood supply chain and the earnings are not distributed equitably. There is also a high degree of price volatility in the market which trickles down to fish harvesters, resulting in Lobster fishermen that have little control over where their catches are sold and what price they fetch at market. Alternative marketing strategies such as direct marketing have been proposed as a solution to solve both the issue of price volatility in the lobster fishery and of a lack of control over the supply chain structure. This study explored the feasibilty of and desire for direct marketing amongst lobster fishermen in Cape Breton using the triple bottom line metrics of ecology, economy, and community as fishery performance indicators. Highlighted in this study are the main perceived barriers and motivating factors for the direct marketing of Cape Breton Lobster identified by fish harvesters. Data was collected through wharf interviews (n=56) and participant observation. This report presents potential direct marketing strategies that could be employed within Cape Breton, enabling factors that would allow for an increase in direct marketing, as well as the potential impact that the use of these strategies would have on the triple bottom line of fishery performance. | en_US |
