The lobster traps stacked beside the weathered fishing shed are not props. But today, only a handful of residents catch lobsters and mackerel for a living. That is a far cry from when the village reached its peak population of 300 and fishing was the mainstay. After WWII, improved technology and fleets of commercial vessels overwhelmed the solo fishermen while depleting the fish population. This led to government-imposed restrictions on boats, quota management and limited licensing. Today, the price of a lobster license runs between $700,000 and a million CAD. That is a huge barrier to entry for young fishermen. Today, the typical age of an independent fisherman in Nova Scotia is over 50 years old.
