A lobster tale: Rising cost of food has little impact on crustacean’s popularity

Inflation in Canada has hit a near 40-year high, pushing prices up across the country.

In Prince Edward Island, inflation was over 11 per cent for the month of May. However, rising costs have not slowed demand for a Maritime delicacy – lobster.

With the costs for bait and fuel increasing, fishers are getting between $7 and $8 per pound at the wharf. You can expect to pay $15 at the supermarket.

Coady Campbell owns a Charlottetown restaurant and says the seafood staple is still in high demand.

“There’s a lot of pent-up anticipation for travelling and so I think they’ve got their mind set that they’re in P.E.I. and they want to take advantage of a nice lobster dinner and cost doesn’t really matter within reason,” said Campbell.

The crustacean is a big part of the P.E.I. tourism experience. Some people will even pay to see fishers catch lobster firsthand.

“Well they’re amazed because most people have never been on the water before,” said Kenny MacDonald, owner of Peake’s Wharf Boat Tours.

MacDonald says the lobsters he catches are for educational purposes and can’t be brought in. However, he gets the same question every time he finishes a tour.

“They all want to know where to go to and I point them in the right direction to where to get a good lobster supper,” he said.

Campbell says the price of lobster hasn’t gone up as much as most other foods, but Islanders are now more likely to buy fewer, often bigger lobsters to get the most bang for their buck.

“For Islanders, quantities are probably less than they’ve been in the past. You know, you don’t see the 25, 30, 50 pound picnics where you get the family altogether, it’s smaller groups,” said Campbell.