Maritime boat yards are operating at full capacity to meet demand for new lobster fishing boats — costing upwards of $1 million each — which has wait times for those new vessels stretching years into the future.
"We are fully booked for the next three to four years. Fully booked. To get a boat, we could start in 2019, but 2020 for completion," said Fraser Challoner, co-owner of Wedgeport Boats Limited, which employs 35 people in the small southwest Nova Scotia fishing community.
The company requires a $10,000 deposit to reserve a spot in line.
"Historically, if you had one year in advance, it was awesome. This is unheard of. I've talked with guys with 35 years in this industry and they've never seen this," Challoner told CBC News.
