Provincial Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne has written his federal counterpart asking that the snow crab season officially open March 15th instead of April 1st.

The FFAW is hoping to make the most of the snow crab season even as the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian products continues to loom large.

Byrne says it’s hoped an early start will prevent any unnecessary delays in the season.“Delays in the crab season push the season into warm water and soft shell crab, which is a problem, so the earlier the fishery can start, the better” says Byrne, but “the sooner we start, we can be first into the market place…and that is always a benefit.”