Lobster fishermen in Eastern Passage, near Halifax, get set to head out at first light Monday. (CBC)

Fishermen throughout southwest Nova Scotia headed out Monday for the start of Canada's biggest lobster fishery.

Boats from dozens of ports stretching from Eastern Passage near Halifax to Digby in the Bay of Fundy took part in dumping day, when fishermen set their traps for the start of the season.

It's normally a time of excitement and anticipation, but last year saw devastating opening prices and a market in free fall for luxury goods like lobster.

Not surprisingly, the big discussion at lobster ports this year centres on prices, said Wayne Nickerson, a buyer and exporter who used to fish.

He said prices this year are expected to climb about 50 cents a pound, but $3.50 or $4 is still far too low for many fishermen to cover their costs.

"If you have a rig that is paid for, you could probably make it. But if you're running a $750,000 or $1-million outfit, I don't think it could be done with $3.50," said Nickerson, with the Fishman Lobster Company.

Lobster fisherman Craig Hartlen said even $4 a pound is low.

"You need to get $5 or $6 to make any money," Hartlen said as he got his boat ready to head out of Eastern Passage at daybreak.

"There's a lot of work involved in this. And it's a large investment, because you have so much gear, you lose gear when you're fishing. Then you've got guys with you and the boat breaks down and there's a lot of expenses."

Hartlen said it will be a couple of days before lobstermen get a sense of what to expect this year.

If lobster prices don't go up, some fishermen say there will be a repeat of last year when fishermen sold their catch directly to customers in mall parking lots and roadside stands.

Luring China

For their part, international lobster brokers are looking for better prices for Nova Scotia catch, trying to expand the market by tempting wealthy buyers in China.

Denny Morrow, with the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, said China is a great market because "the Chinese love seafood."

The trick, he said, is to get Nova Scotia lobster into smaller Chinese cities, those with populations of about 10 million.

"We just have to get it over there and make some money distributing it," Morrow said.

Right now, the Chinese don't have a very good impression of what they call "Boston lobster," a mix of Canadian and American crustaceans, he said.

"There's a lot of American lobster in it, more soft-shelled, not as full meat as ours. So, quality-wise, it's a lesser product," Morrow said.

The solution, he said, is that Nova Scotia has to ship its lobster direct instead of letting Americans peddle it. The product and the sales pitch have to be distinct, pushing Nova Scotia lobster as "premium hard-shelled, full-meated lobster."

But there's tough competition, Morrow said, because Australian rock lobster is No. 1 in China.

"They can go up to $40 a pound with their product," he said.

Nova Scotia lobster fishermen can only dream of being paid that much per pound, Morrow said, but with a serious marketing plan, they might be able to match that price in the future.

The winter lobster season runs from the last Monday in November to May 31.