Mi'kmaq First Nation, environmental group work on creating zero-emission lobster boat
CTV
An environmental charity and the Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton are partnering to create electric lobster boats on the East Coast, saying it's the way of the future if Canada is to meet its zero-emission targets.
An environmental charity and the Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton are partnering to create electric lobster boats on the East Coast, saying it's the way of the future if Canada is to meet its zero-emission targets.
Oceans North announced Thursday it is working on the project with the Mi'kmaq community's fisheries and boatbuilding corporations, based in Sydney, N.S.
Hubert Nicholas, the director of fisheries at Membertou, said in an interview the new boats will likely be costlier than diesel-powered vessels at first, but he said it's expected there will be savings in maintenance and fuel costs.
"Right now, the cost is high ... but we anticipate that as battery-powered boats become more accepted and more are built, the price will drop dramatically," he said.
Nicholas estimated the cost of lobster boats is about $600,000 to $700,000, adding that an electrical boat would have higher, yet-to-be-determined costs for its engine and other components.
However, Nicholas said that the band's boat-building firm sees it as the way forward, and he said he believes the industry will soon follow the pattern of car and truck industries in a shift away from emission-belching diesel motors.
"We're seeing this as an opportunity to be ahead of the game. We want to be pioneers in this area," he said.
