CANSO — From a cell phone somewhere in downtown Toronto, the voices of Ken Snow and Billy Bond vibrate with excitement, but also apprehension. The Canso lobstermen have been friends for years, and now, far from their beloved Atlantic homes, they’re hustling to generate buzz for their sport fishing business.
The two have been working on the side project for about a decade, but now that the United States and China are scheduled to slap punishing tariffs on Canadian seafood exports as soon as this week, the need to diversify their incomes has never been more urgent. And, they can feel it in their bones. “We’re not that confident at all,” Snow said flatly about the industry that’s put food on his and Bond’s tables, in more ways than one, for most of their lives.
They’re not alone. The inshore fishery plays a significant role in Guysborough County’s economy, particularly the lobster sector, where it remains the backbone of many coastal communities, accounting for between 15 and 25 per cent of overall employment. Predominantly a small-boat, inshore operation, with access tightly controlled since 1968 through a limited-entry system, it’s more than a job. For Snow, Bond and the fewer than 200 other members of the Guysborough County Inshore Fishermen’s Association, it’s a way of life, one that is now under unprecedented pressure.
According to recent estimates, Nova Scotia’s seafood industry generates approximately $2.5 billion in export revenue – roughly 4.2 per cent of the province’s $59.6 billion in economic output – a year. The United States accounts for about half of that – approximately $1.23 billion – while China and Hong Kong contribute another $666 million. At least, they did.
In October, citing concerns over market distortion and unfair competition, Canada imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25 per cent tariff on the country’s steel and aluminum products. Earlier this month, in retaliation, China announced it would implement a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood products, including lobster, snow crab and shrimp, effective March 20. Meanwhile, the United States has announced a 25 per cent tariff on nearly all Canadian imports, including seafood, though these tariffs have been temporarily suspended until April 2, 2025.
All of which have generated sharp responses from all levels of government. In an email to The Journal last week, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough’s (MODG) Director of Economic & Community Development Sean O’Conner stated: “The tariffs that have been imposed on Canadian goods over the last few weeks by some of Canada’s largest trading partners will most likely have an impact on some of the largest existing industries in Nova Scotia (and in MODG) including the forestry and seafood sectors. The situation is very complex and as we have seen, changes rapidly. As for MODG, the unpredictable tariff situation creates uncertainty for investors. Tariffs impact many facets of each sector including supply chains, regardless of the target export market.”
Meanwhile, he added, the federal and provincial governments “are leading the tariff response by implementing counter tariffs and taking measures to provide supports to businesses that are negatively impacted by these uncertain times.”
In a separate public statement last week, Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Kent Smith said the province will “set aside $200 million for a contingency fund. My department has also received an additional $200,000 in permanent funding to support market diversification activities specific to the seafood sector. There are many other supports at the federal and provincial levels for companies who wish to explore new markets.”
Snow’s shakes his head at the uncertainty. “We don’t know what the impacts are until we actually get a price,” he said. “But we’re personally thinking that it’s not going to be good.”
Of course, small-time fishers have never had it easy; it has always been a tough, unpredictable way to make a living. But, tariffs of this scale and scope are something different altogether. It’s not just a question of selling their catch. According to Snow, it’s a question of whether the market will even be there. “As fishermen at the bottom rung of the ladder – and even for the buyers – it’s a case of supply and demand, and what the consumer is willing to pay and what they’re not willing to pay.”
That puts him, Bond and the others in an especially precarious position. “We’re basically the last to get paid, even though we’re supplying the product,” Snow said. “Along that food chain, everybody gets their cut – buyer, shipper, processor [and] retailer – but whatever’s left over is actually what finally gets paid to the fisherman.”
The problem is particularly acute in the lobster fishery, where global demand dictates price. Historically, about 80 per cent of Nova Scotia’s lobster exports have gone to the U.S., but in recent years, the Chinese market has grown to rival it. Now, with tariffs threatening both markets, local fishers fear they’ll have nowhere to go with their catch. “The rest are either domestic exports in Canada or the European market,” Snow says.
Still, some are not just waiting to see what happens; they’re looking to hedge their bets. “Me and Bill are actually in Toronto to attend a sports show,” Snow said. “We’re actually trying to advertise a business, even in this time of uncertainty.”
That business is tuna fishing charters – a niche market that Snow and Bond hope will help them ride out the storm. “Billy’s been working at this for about 12 years now, trying to grow the charter business,” Snow said. “But, down home, we’re so far away, it’s been hard. So, we’re trying to hit a few of the trade shows, get the word out.”
It’s a bold move, and one that’s driven by ambition and now necessity. As Bond put it: “We don’t make money by staying home.”
For now, they’ll keep casting their nets, both literally and figuratively, hoping that between the tides and trade shows, they can keep their livelihoods afloat.
