• Lobster prices has fallen to $1.25 a pound
    61 replies, posted
[quote] Before sunrise last Monday, in a parking lot by the water in Winter Harbor, Maine, a gathering of lobstermen came to a rare consensus: prices were too low to go fishing. "I've never seen them tie up [their boats] as a group like this before," said Randy Johnson, manager of the Winter Harbor Lobster Co-op. The 30 vessels in his co-operative have remained in port for a week straight. "I'm looking at all their boats as we speak," he said Friday when reached at the co-op, which sits across the bay from Bar Harbor "They all have a cut-off point [in price] where they can and can't fish," he said. "It's an impossible situation." Harbors up and down the coast of Maine are filled with idle fishing boats, as lobster haulers decide that pulling in their lobster pots has become a fruitless pursuit. Prices at the dock have fallen to as low as $1.25 a pound in some areas—roughly 70% below normal and a nearly 30-year-low for this time of year, according to fishermen, researchers and officials. The reason: an unseasonably warm winter created a supply glut throughout the Atlantic lobster fishery. Those prices have officials and lobstermen concerned about the fate of one of the state's most vital industries. "For some people it will be disaster, they are going to go bankrupt," said Bob Bayer, director of the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine. Retail lobster prices in Maine have started to fall along with the glut, and Mr. Bayer said that some fishermen have begun selling lobsters out of their trucks for as low as $4 a pound. But consumers elsewhere in the U.S. aren't likely to see bargains. The Maine lobsters that currently are in season can't be shipped long distances due to their soft shells, and retailers have other fixed costs that limit big price drops. "There could be a small effect, but I wouldn't expect much," Mr. Bayer said. Lobsters are a $300-million-a-year industry in Maine, according to Halifax, Canada, consulting firm Gardner Pinfold. Along with Canada, Maine's thousands of independent lobstermen supply the vast majority of the world's clawed lobsters, which have seen a population boom over the past three decades due to rising water temperatures and overfishing of cod and haddock, their main predators. Profit margins are low even in good years, but this summer the problem has intensified. The wholesalers that buy directly from lobstermen are paying less than it costs for many boats to turn a profit. "Anything under $4 [a pound], lobstermen can't make any money," said Bill Adler, head of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, which publishes a weekly report on lobster prices in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Adler, a former lobsterman, said the warm winter had two effects. It allowed Canadian lobstermen, who typically fish in the early spring, to bring in large catches due to the mild temperatures. And the lobsters that Maine fishermen catch in the summer months—the ones that can't be shipped live due to their softer shells—arrived six weeks earlier than normal. "The month of June might have been a record in the state of Maine for catch," said Peter Miller, a veteran lobsterman from Tenants Harbor. His business is struggling despite traps that have brought in hauls four times larger than normal. The price slump has led some lobstermen to take drastic action. Patrick Keliher, the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said his agency has investigated reports of lobstermen coercing others not to go out fishing in an effort to lower supplies and raise prices back to more normal levels. "Frankly, there were some fisherman that were trying to bully some people into not fishing. Most of it was veiled threats, and as soon as we started hearing about it, I made sure patrol was aware," said Mr. Keliher. On Monday, Mr. Keliher issued a statement warning that threats to cut lobster traps loose or force lobstermen to stay in port "will be met with targeted and swift enforcement." He added that any attempts to impose a broader fishing halt "may be in violation of federal antitrust laws." A shutdown is already taking place though, according to some Maine residents. In Knox County, which has several hundred licensed lobstermen, boats have stayed tied to their moorings for over a week, said Diane Cowan, executive director of the Lobster Conservancy in Friendship, Maine. "I don't know how they came to agree on this," said Ms. Cowan. "The boats are all at their moorings and all the lobster traps are all in the water." Ms. Cowan has lived in Friendship for 14 years. The town of about 1,200 residents has two churches and two lobster co-ops. Its harbor, which typically is filled with the sound of diesel engines as roughly 200 lobster boats motor in and out of the bay with their catches, has gone silent. "I live on the water. All the boats are tied up, and it's absolutely quiet and peaceful," said Ms. Cowan. While many are hopeful that prices will recover along with demand as tourists head to Maine for lobster boils and seafood festivals, some worry this season could have a lasting impact. Mr. Miller, of Tenants Harbor, works with his three brothers, all of whom learned the business from their father. His son has joined the family trade, along with two cousins. But after 38 years, Mr. Miller says the job is not what it used to be. "It's not a good business right now," said Mr. Miller, who frequently tells his son to switch jobs. "My catch is ahead of last year, but my checkbook says I'm not doing as well."[/quote] [url]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304388004577529080951019546.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5[/url] Fucking lucky americans But poor fishermen
Why can't it be like that over here, lobsters fucking delicious.
I love lobster, so I'll just be sure to buy more.
I never liked lobster, but it's sort of good that the price dropped.
Well that's not good, I have family members in Maine who are in the lobstering business, and they were just barely scraping by as it is.
I have never had lobster but I don't think I want to have lobster here in the Midwest.
Funny I just had lobster for lunch. Then again it was Red Lobster...
Lobster used to be dirt cheap up until the Industrial Era, when rich people started eating it for some reason.
On one hand, it's bad for the fishermen, but on the other hand it's good for the consumers. BUT it decreases the chance of wasted lobsters, since some people might buy more lobsters to take advantage of the bargain. Also, is lobster similar in taste to langoustine/"Norway prawn"? I tried langoustines in Iceland, and they tasted pretty good; we even had langoustine pizzas once in this fancy restaurant in Höfn.
Lobster is so succulent and juicy, the tails kick ass like no other.
[QUOTE=DentalDoctor;36795862]Lobster is so succulent and juicy, the tails kick ass like no other.[/QUOTE] I like the claw myself. Dipped in warm melted buttah.
[QUOTE=Rocko's;36795746]I never liked lobster, but it's good that the prie dropped.[/QUOTE] Prices dropping this low are a very bad thing, as it can easily put many people out of business
The lobster industry is an example of proper regulations on fishing. At least in the north east. It sucks the fishermen have to suffer. Perhaps they could throttle the quotas for a season to make the catch profitable?
[QUOTE=viperfan7;36795895]Prices dropping this low are a very bad thing, as it can easily put many people out of business[/QUOTE] That is a common myth. More productivity is usually a good thing.
Lobster + XO Sauce = Orgasm. And I generally hate seafood.
[QUOTE=POLOPOZOZO;36795784]I have never had lobster but I don't think I want to have lobster here in the Midwest.[/QUOTE] I don't see what you're point is. I live in the Midwest and lobster is still delicious.
Lobster is, unfortunately, my least favorite seafood, would much rather stick to shrimp
i like shrimp and regular fish better... lobster not that good in my opinion.
Eh, lobster has minimal taste to me at best, even when cooked right. I prefer crab. With butter.
salmon master race I don't really like crustaceans in general though :(
I don't think I like crab; but then again my first experience of it were crabsticks which were terri- I just found out that crabsticks don't contain crab. Nonetheless I doubt that I like crab anyways. Speaking of crab, I once caught an injured one on a beach somewhere in Wales, using my shoe (whilst I was still wearing it); my Mum cooked it and potted the meat when we got back to the campsite. Don't worry, it expired in the icebox on the way back. I like smoked salmon, though I can't eat too much of it before things start going wrong. I should probably try it with cream cheese one day.
Can anyone tell me which parts this will affect?
why doesn';t the govermanet pay farmers to not grow lobster and store it in warehouse?? that fix price $$$
[QUOTE=LaughingStock;36796633]Can anyone tell me which parts this will affect?[/QUOTE] The lobster parts.
[QUOTE=DeeCeeTeeBee;36796648]why doesn';t the govermanet pay farmers to not grow lobster and store it in warehouse?? that fix price $$$[/QUOTE] what
I hate lobster.
This ain't good for us Maineiacs.
I live next door to Maine and I have never seen lobster below $5 a pound
I live in Maine... and I've never had lobster. Something is wrong here.
[QUOTE=RichyZ;36797231]i've never eaten lobster swag holla holla[/QUOTE] you poor soul
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