The Lobster Capital of the World
Every year in June, the New Brunswick Visitor’s Bureau hosts Lobsterfest. This festival celebrates Saint John as “the perfect place to catch a huge lobster.” Part of that marketing effort is a city-wide search for the best live lobsters as well as New Brunswick style dishes like clam chowder and blueberry pie! They also have other contests and events throughout the year. For more information on where to buy lobster in New Brunswick, check out their website here: http://www.visitnewbrunswick.com/lobsterfest/. You can also read some testimonials from people who came to the festival here: http://www.visitnewbrunswick.com/attractions/festivals-events/lobster-fest-testimonials/.
New Brunswick is also the only place in North America where you can buy a license to fish for lobsters. The fee is $10 per person and $20 for a family of four. There are limits on the amount of lobsters you can take though and they recommend that you check their website before coming to town. You should also be aware that during the peak season (July 1 through September 30) lobster fishing is not allowed at all on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 12 pm until 5 pm. You can make your purchase online here: http://www2.gnb.
Where you can buy lobster in New Brunswick
In the past, you could only buy live lobsters in New Brunswick in a couple of fish markets such as the one at 5th and Water Street.
Now, however, you can buy live lobsters if you go to any Loblaws store. They have seafood counters throughout the province that sell live lobster as well as other seafood products. Similarly, there is another supermarket chain called Sobeys which also has a large selection of lobster products.
Where to Buy Lobsters in New Brunswick – Jack’s Seafood Market
Jack’s Seafood Market is an easy-to-find market near downtown Saint John at Kingston and Princess Street. They are open Tuesday to Sunday.
If you want to buy live lobster and other fresh seafood, this is a great place to go. They have everything from crab, shrimp, oysters and scallops to mussels, squid and pickled herring. They also have an entire section devoted to lobster and every time I went there I knew that most of the lobster tails I was looking at had been caught out of town at Sparling’s Pier in Verdun. For example, on my most recent trip there they had 2 live lobsters for sale: 1 male 6 pounds 7 ounces for $45 and another one 4 pounds 4 ounces for $27.75.
Jack’s also has other shellfish and fresh fish including white shrimp, scallops, blue fish, salmon, tuna and squid. They are one of the few shops in Saint John that have remaining tables in the back where you can sit down to eat your lobsters from their cooler!
How to catch Lobsters – New Brunswick Fishing Regulations
New Brunswick’s lobster season is from June 15th until September 15th. They have reserved several areas for lobster fishing: Moncton Harbour for anglers who want to catch lobster from their boats; Verdun Pier for lobster fishermen who want to use traps; and Grand Manan Island for offshore anglers casting big-game style traps.
A license is required to catch lobsters in New Brunswick. The price per person is $10 and there is a limit of four people in a family. For example, there are no license fees for children under six years of age and for disabled people with proof. If you want to fish out at sea then you must have a current fishing license from Canada or the United States and you can only buy them at Maritime Today (a local news outlet where I work) on Water Street in Saint John or in your local Fish & Game office. You are also likely to need a government-issued photo ID that has your name, date of birth, gender and blood type (complete with an agent’s signature).
How much does lobster cost in New Brunswick?
You can buy live lobsters of both sexes as well as cooked lobsters. The price for a one pound lobster varies between $15 for a small lobster and $30 for an extra large one. That’s around $10 per pound of meat! For example, if you want to buy two live King George (clawless) lobsters there are no license fees but you will pay the equivalent of $42.50 per lobster in tax. You can only buy live lobster if you have your fishing license with you as well as a valid ID that shows your name, birthdate and gender.
Can you eat the claws?
You can eat the claws, but if you want the best meat then Chef André has this advice: “At home, I recommend cutting them in half and eating the meat straight from the shell. That way all of the flavours infuse together.” Note: Most lobsters in Canada are already cut from their claws so it’s not necessary to do it yourself except for when you are cooking. The claws just naturally fall off during cooking.
