According to preliminary figures, last year’s total catch was 21 million pounds larger than in 2010 and represented the biggest haul since at least 2006. But despite the increase in total pounds, the estimated value of Maine’s 2011 catch declined by roughly $30 million due to a smaller harvest of pen-raised Atlantic salmon, the Department of Marine Resources said.

Once again, the lobster fishery continued to dominate Maine’s commercial fishing industry, especially in terms of the monetary value of the catch. For the first time in history, the lobster catch broke the 100 million-pound mark in 2011, with the 103.9 million pounds representing nearly 38 percent of the total landings in Maine last year.

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