As uncertainty over U.S. tariffs grows, Canada's main snow crab producing region delays fishing season

The CEO of Ocean Choice International, Martin Sullivan, has announced that the quota for snow crab in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is expected to be announced between March 21 to the end of the month. However, local processors and fishermen have not yet agreed on a price for the 2025 production season due to potential U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. The Association of Seafood Producers and the Federation of Fisheries and Food Workers have suspended price negotiations until after the Boston Expo. The total quota for snow crab in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is 7,000 tons, a small part of Canada's total production. The snow crab season in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence is expected to start in April.

At the Boston Expo, Martin Sullivan, CEO of Ocean Choice International (OCI), told UCN: "NL quotas will be announced as early as March 21. In addition to quotas, local processors and fishermen have not yet reached a price agreement, nor a specific pricing formula. This is mainly because the United States may announce tariffs on Canadian goods on April 2." Currently, the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents snow crab processors in NL, and the Federation of Fisheries and Food Workers (FFAW), which represents fishermen, have stated that price negotiations for the 2025 production season have been suspended until negotiations resume after the Boston Expo. Last year, the NL snow crab quota was 57,578 tons. Urner, a U.S. agricultural product wholesale price portal Barry said that no large-scale transactions were made for snow crab products this week, and the average wholesale price is difficult to determine. New information may not be released until next week or ...