Hundreds of lobster fishing boats in Nova Scotia sat idle Tuesday, Canadian fishermen balking at being paid break-even prices for their catch.

The abandonment occurred spontaneously Monday morning as VHF radio chatter among nearly 1,000 boats turned to the economic futility, a Globe and Mail correspondent reported.

"It's almost like a coffee shop on the VHF," said fisherman Ashton Spinney.

One ship turned back, starting a parade of boats returning to port, Spinney said.

Last year, processors paid fishermen between $5 and $6 per pound of lobster, but this year, the average is $3.25 per pound, the report said.

Fisherman Bob Newell told the newspaper apart from losing income, some fishermen who don't earn enough could also lose their qualification for federal Employment Insurance benefits through the rest of the year.

Denny Morrow, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, said consumers are spending less on luxuries, and a shrinking airline industry has made it more expensive and difficult to ship lobster to foreign markets.