Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Assoc.

MEDIA RELEASE….

CHARLOTTETOWN, Tuesday June 28, 2011: What do PEI lobster fishermen do when they want to promote their fishery? They throw a party!

The PEI Lobster Smash Up will take place Friday July 1 in Victoria Park starting at 3:00 PM. The concept is modeled after the popular “crab smash ups” found on the U.S. East Coast and promises to be “messy fun”, complete with bib and mallet. Even if diners choose to use more traditional methods of tackling their lobster, the mallet provided for the experience will be theirs to take home as a souvenir of this first-ever event.

“We want people to come out and enjoy some great Island lobster,” says Ian MacPherson, Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association. “We have some of the best lobster in the world. By all measures such as protein content, shell hardness and meat yield, PEI lobster is a premium product. There are 1246 fishers on the Island who depend upon the lobster fishery for their livelihood. We hope our guests will come out and learn a little bit about our industry while they have some Canada Day fun!”

After a busy fishing season ending June 30, PEI fishermen and their families will be volunteering their time to serve up lobster cooked by the 3 Area Support Group of the Canadian Forces Gagetown. “We’ll also have some great “kitchen party” tunes from Roy Johnstone and JJ & Koady Chaisson to help set the tone,” Mr. MacPherson said.

The PEI Lobster Smash Up runs from 3 – 8:30 pm with a price of $22. A concession stand will be available from 11am for those who seek lighter fare. Tickets are available at the park or in advance through ticketpro at www.ticketpro.ca or by calling 1-888-311-9090.

The PEI Lobster Smash Up is a PEI Flavours event supported by the PEI Departments of Tourism & Culture and Fisheries, Aquaculture & Rural Development through the PEI Culinary Alliance. “The PEI Culinary Alliance is excited to partner with the Lobster Smash Up to promote PEI lobster as a high quality product,” said Jeff McCourt, chair of the PEI Culinary Alliance. For more information on PEI Flavours, please visit www.peiflavours.ca.

The Prince Edward Island Fisherman's Association (PEIFA) is an organization which helps Island fishermen communicate between themselves, their communities and with fisher organizations in other provinces. Originally formed in the early 1950’s, its primary objective today is to provide one united voice when communicating with federal government agencies.

For more information, please contact:
Ian MacPherson
Executive Director
Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association
566-4050
Email: managerpeifa@eastlink.ca
www.peifa.org