Snow Crab vs Lobster: Comparing the Two Seasons

Q: Which fishery pays better, snow crab or lobster?

Neither is consistently higher -- both pay a share of landings, so it comes down to that season's catch volume and shore price on the specific boat, not the species itself. Ask the captain directly about the boat's typical share and recent seasons before deciding.

Q: Is it possible to unionize a fishing fleet in Canada?

Yes -- crew and harvesters in several provinces already have real organizations behind them, though the legal shape differs by province and role. In British Columbia, UFAWU-Unifor is a certified trade union that can represent share-paid harvesters as well as wage-paid shoreworkers. In Newfoundland and Labrador, FFAW-Unifor is both a trade union for plant and other employees and a certified fish-price bargaining agent under provincial law. In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Maritime Fishermen's Union and Nova Scotia's regional harvester organizations represent inshore harvesters, though the exact bargaining powers differ province to province. See our unions hub for a full, sourced breakdown of which organization covers which province and what it can actually do for a member.

Lobster runs the longer season — roughly six months (Southwest Nova, late November to late May) — while snow crab runs a shorter, more compressed two-to-three-month window in spring and summer. Different clocks, different gear, and different pay-structure risk between the two fisheries.

How the seasons compare

Lobster is the longer, more geographically staggered fishery. Southwest Nova Scotia (Lobster Fishing Areas 33 and 34) runs a roughly six-month season from late November to late May, opening on what’s known locally as Setting Day. Prince Edward Island splits its lobster season into two much shorter windows — a spring season from about May to the end of June, and a fall season in August and September. New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy areas and Newfoundland’s areas each run their own DFO-set windows again. Because the areas don’t all open and close together, a licence holder or crew willing to travel can, in theory, chase lobster across more of the year than any single area’s own window allows.

Snow crab runs shorter and more compressed. Gulf and Newfoundland snow crab seasons typically open in spring and run into summer — commonly a two-to-three-month window rather than lobster’s five-to-six months — though the exact opening date depends on ice conditions, stock survey results, and the quota set for that Crab Fishing Area that year. A short season means a crew is working long, intense days to land the season’s quota before it closes, with less room to make up for weather losses than a six-month lobster season gives you.

What the difference means for pay and lifestyle

Because snow crab crews are trying to land a fixed quota in a shorter window, the days tend to be longer and the pace more urgent while the season is open — and then it’s over, often well before lobster season even starts in some areas. Lobster crews spread their effort over more weeks, with more chances for a bad week to be balanced by a better one later in the season, but also more weeks of early mornings and gear maintenance overall.

Pay on both fisheries is almost always structured as a share of the boat’s landings rather than a wage, so a deckhand’s take-home depends on catch volume and the shore price that season, not a fixed rate. Roughly speaking, a share fisher on a full lobster season might see something in the range of $25,000-100,000+ (estimate; confirm with current postings and your specific boat’s share terms), while a snow crab crew member working a shorter, higher-intensity season can land in a similar range in far fewer weeks — but with more downside risk if ice, weather, or a late quota cut shortens the season further. Neither number means much without knowing that specific boat’s quota, crew share percentage, and how the season’s price held up — ask directly before committing to a season on either fishery.

Some crew work both: a snow crab season in spring, then a lobster season later in the year if area timing allows, stacking two income windows instead of relying on one. That’s more common in some regions than others depending on how the local seasons line up — ask around the wharf about what’s realistic in your area before planning a year around it.

Getting into either fishery

Entry-level spots on both lobster and crab boats are usually found the same way: showing up at the wharf before the season opens and asking captains directly, not through job postings. See our crews hub for how hiring actually works, and our seasons hub for a fuller area-by-area breakdown of lobster, crab, and other fisheries. Our pay hub covers how share percentages are typically structured across roles.

FAQ

Is snow crab or lobster fishing more physically demanding? Both are hard, physical work, but snow crab’s shorter, more compressed season generally means longer days and less downtime while it’s open. Lobster spreads similar total effort over more weeks.

Can a deckhand work both seasons in the same year? Some crew do, when the timing of the specific areas allows it — a spring snow crab season followed later by a lobster season, for example. Whether that’s realistic depends heavily on your region and boat, so ask locally rather than assuming it lines up everywhere.

Which fishery pays better, snow crab or lobster? Neither is consistently higher — both pay a share of landings, so it comes down to that season’s catch volume and shore price on the specific boat, not the species itself. Ask the captain directly about the boat’s typical share and recent seasons before deciding.

Is it possible to unionize a fishing fleet in Canada? Yes — crew and harvesters in several provinces already have real organizations behind them, though the legal shape differs by province and role. In British Columbia, UFAWU-Unifor is a certified trade union that can represent share-paid harvesters as well as wage-paid shoreworkers. In Newfoundland and Labrador, FFAW-Unifor is both a trade union for plant and other employees and a certified fish-price bargaining agent under provincial law. In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Maritime Fishermen’s Union and Nova Scotia’s regional harvester organizations represent inshore harvesters, though the exact bargaining powers differ province to province. See our unions hub for a full, sourced breakdown of which organization covers which province and what it can actually do for a member.