Saving Seafood

MAINE: Maine lobster industry hit by harsh winter, falling catch and rising costs

March 26, 2026 — Maine’s lobster industry is facing mounting pressure after a harsh winter reduced fishing activity, slowed catches and added to rising costs across the sector.

A key driver was fewer days on the water. Maine lobster harvesters took more than 21,000 fewer fishing trips in 2025 than in 2024, the agency said. Total landings fell to just over 78 million pounds, the lowest level since 2008.

“It started in December, and in December you usually get to fish a lot of days, and we didn’t get to fish,” said lobsterman Greg Turner.

Turner, who has worked on a boat since childhood, said crews were only able to fish about half as many days as normal during peak winter months.

“If it’s zero out, and it’s blowing negative 25, you can’t go because it’s just – if something happened – you’d be done. You’d die out there, probably,” said Turner.

Read the full article at Fox Business 

MAINE: Vinalhaven lobsterman petitions Supreme Court over GPS tracking mandate

March 20, 2026 — A Maine lobsterman is continuing his fight against a GPS tracking mandate, hoping to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frank Thompson, a fifth-generation lobsterman from Vinalhaven, and the Florida-based Pacific Legal Foundation jointly petitioned the Supreme Court this month to hear an appeal in his federal district court case.

Since late 2023, federally permitted lobster boats on the East Coast have been required to have a global positioning system (GPS) transmitter aboard at all times. The federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission enacted the mandate to collect data about fisheries stock and aid in conservation efforts, including for endangered whales.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources later adopted the mandate, which also collects data for “emerging ocean uses, and enforcement.”

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Lobster rolls approach $50, but Bostonians appear happy to shell out

March 19, 2026 — How much would you pay for a lobster roll? Martha Stewart recently declared that she wouldn’t serve a one that cost $60 at her new restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino. But in the swanky Hamptons, chefs are bracing for a spendy summer, predicting prices will approach $50.

Maine lobster landings have declined for the fourth straight year, state fishing regulators said, as the industry struggles with soaring expenses, including inflation, and climate change, which has driven more lobsters north into Canadian waters.

Lobster rolls aren’t quite $50 in Boston, but they’re getting close. That’s put restaurateurs in a precarious position over an iconic menu item tourists and locals demand. In many cases, it’s better to break even than to lose customers.

“I can’t really charge you $100 for a lobster roll, even though, over the last two weeks, maybe I should be charging $70 or $80,” said Row 34’s Jeremy Sewall, whose restaurants are known for creamy lobster rolls.

Kathy Sidell of Saltie Girl has always tried to keep her lobster roll at $42 or under. “On rare occasions when the prices skyrocket, I will raise the price to $44. But it’s such a signature dish for us. I believe we should keep it as reasonable as possible, in spite of at some points breaking even or even losing money,” she said.

Read the full article at The Boston Globe

US Congress continues exploring possible solutions for North Atlantic right whale, lobster fishery challenges

March 18, 2026 — U.S. lawmakers in Congress are continuing to prioritize spending to address ongoing issues between the New England lobster industry and the endangered North Atlantic right whale, a species whose habitat overlaps with valuable fishing grounds.

The North Atlantic right whale population – which began experiencing an “unusual mortality event” in 2017 – hit a low in 2020, when researchers estimated their population at just 358 individuals. The declining population triggered regulatory efforts to save the species and help it recover, but those efforts have clashed with the commercial fishing industry in the region, which has come under fire for entanglements and vessel strikes.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Maine lobster landings fall for fourth straight year

March 13, 2026 — Maine lobstermen hauled in fewer lobsters again in 2025, marking the fourth straight year of declining landings for the state’s most valuable fishery.

According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), fishermen landed 78.8 million pounds of lobster in 2025, down from more than 110 million pounds in 2021. The total marks the lowest harvest since 2028, though it remains higher than historic averages seen in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The value of the catch also dropped. State officials say the fishery brought in more than $461 million at the dock last year, a decline of over $75 million compared with the previous season.

“This combination of factors likely contributed to the decline from 2024 to 2025 in the lobster harvest of more than eight million pounds and a decrease in the overall value of more than $75 million,” said Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine DMR.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MAINE: Surf and dearth: Maine’s lobster industry faces a reckoning

March 12, 2026 — Next time you go to a seafood restaurant, you may have trouble ordering one of the ocean’s delicacies. Maine’s lobster industry declined for the fourth-straight year, state regulators said this month, in a continuing drop that marks a 17-year low for the state’s lobster haul. This has led people in the state lobster business to sound warning bells, given that the vast majority of lobster in the United States comes from them.

Why is Maine’s lobster industry having trouble?

The principal cause is a large drop in the number of fishing expeditions in the state. Maine lobster harvesters “took over 21,000 fewer fishing trips in 2025 than in 2024, a nearly 10% decline in fishing effort,” Carl Wilson, the commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources, said in the press release. These fishermen were forced to take fewer trips because “rising bait, fuel and gear prices made many trips economically unviable,” said the Portland Press Herald. Shifting climate patterns also play a role, causing a “late molt that limited access to the soft-shell lobsters that feed Maine tourists.” Delays like these can lead to a much less bountiful harvest.

Read the full article at The Week

MAINE: Evan Whidden named Maine Lobstermen’s Association 2026 Marine Patrol Officer of the Year

March 12, 2026 — Marine Patrol Specialist Evan Whidden was again honored with the Maine Lobstermen’s Association Marine Patrol Officer of the Year Award during the recent Fishermen’s Forum. Specialist Whidden, who joined the Marine Patrol in 2020 and serves in Section Two which runs from Harpswell to Bremen, also received the honor in 2023.

In nominating Specialist Whidden, Sergeant Wesley Dean recognized both his work ethic and professionalism.

“In 2025, Evan logged 683 hours underway and hauled 9,421 lobster traps, making him the most productive Marine Patrol Specialist in the state and helping ensure the lobster fishery remained well monitored and effectively enforced,” said Sergeant Dean.

“As captain, Evan’s steady leadership and sound judgment are valued by officers within his section and division,” said Sergeant Dean. “Officers trust his decision-making, appreciate his experience, and seek opportunities to work with him. He is self-motivated, knowledgeable about the fisheries, and leads by example during day-to-day operations”

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Pilot

MAINE: Maine lobster landings down again after 2010s boom

March 10, 2026 — Maine lobster harvesters took over 21,000 fewer fishing trips last year, which likely contributed to another decline in total lobster landings.

That’s according to preliminary data released Friday from the Maine Department of Marine Resources

Maine’s lobsterman landed 78.8 million total pounds in 2025, which topped all other fisheries in the state, but is about seven million pounds less than the 2024 harvest.

DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson said the decline represents a return to normalcy after a major boom in the 2010s.

“78, 79 million pounds of lobster; that would have been absolutely celebrated as just amazing,” he said. “But when you had the spikes as high as we did in 2015, 2016… when you start to return to Earth, it hits a little bit different.”

Read the full article at Maine Public

MAINE: Maine fishing industry continues to reel in big money despite fewer lobsters being caught

March 9, 2026 — New numbers released Friday show Maine’s fishing industry continues to reel in big money, topping half a billion dollars now for a 14th straight year.

Lobster is still king, topping all fisheries, with nearly 79 million pounds hauled in last year.

However, 2025 was Maine’s lowest lobster catch in 17 years. Local lobstermen say it’s not because there are fewer lobsters in the sea, just fewer fishermen to catch them.

Read the full article at WGME

Maine commercial fisheries topped $600M in 2025, led by the lobster industry

March 6, 2026 — Maine’s commercial fishermen earned more than $619 million in 2025, marking the 14th consecutive year the state’s fisheries have surpassed $500 million in value, according to preliminary data released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR).

Harvesters earned $619,053,489 last year, driven largely by the state’s lobster industry.

“Once again, Maine fishermen and sea farmers in 2025 delivered premium products sought by consumers around the world who value nutritious, sustainably harvested seafood,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement.

Lobster remained Maine’s most valuable fishery by far. Harvesters landed 78.8 million pounds of American lobster in 2025, with a total value of $461.4 million. The average boat price was $5.85 per pound, the third-highest on record.

Still, officials say inflation and other pressures affected the industry. DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson said that when adjusted for inflation, the overall value of the lobster fishery was closer to what harvesters earned in 2008.

Read the full article at News Center Maine