July 1, 2012 — Lobstermen are contending with a glut of early-shedding crustaceans and a shortage of buyers that are combining to create historically low prices for Maine's iconic catch. Warmer water may have thrown off the usual cycle, but sellers expect tourists will raise demand.
Lobsters are going for about $2.25 to $2.50 a pound at the dock, which is “as low as I’ve seen it in 30 years,” said David Cousens, the president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
It’s the same in stores, where prices were running $4.99 a pound at the Fishermen’s Net on Forest Avenue in Portland.
“It’s the lowest price I’ve ever seen in 30 years,” said Norman Solack, a partner in the store. “The tourists that show up on the Fourth of July are going to get a heck of a deal. It’s like saying, ‘Tourists, welcome to Maine.’ ”
The lobstermen will be happy to see the tourists return too, said Cousens, especially if it raises prices.
He said with the price of fuel and bait, fishermen need to get about $1 more a pound to break even.
The problem, Cousens said, is that several Canadian lobster processors – key buyers for soft-shell lobsters – are in their normal seasonal shutdowns. Lobsters are usually in short supply at this time of year because they’ve shed their shells and are usually hiding until they start to harden somewhat.
Lobsters tend to become much more plentiful in early July because the lobsters that have been hiding come out and, being hungry, head to the baited traps.
This year, however, lobsters in Maine waters shed several weeks early, probably due to abnormally high water temperatures, and are already filling lobstermen’s traps.
At Harbor Fish in Portland, they would expect to start seeing softshell lobsters now, said manager Ron Smith, but instead they’ve been selling them for a month. Lobsters at Harbor Fish start at $4.49 a pound for softshell, Smith said.
Cousens said the early shedding is a key cause of the problem of too much supply and not enough demand.
“No one’s ready for them,” he said. “The tourists aren’t here yet.”
Cousens said lobstermen could simply tie up their boats and wait for the surplus to be absorbed and prices to start rising. However, they are famously independent and most wouldn’t do so voluntarily, Cousens said.