Tag Archives: lobster prices
Lobsters prices fall. Crates of crustaceans pile up on Cape Breton
There are so many lobsters ready for processing or live sale in some eastern Cape Breton harbours that they’re being stored temporarily in large flotillas of plastic crates. Some seafood buyers have stopped buying altogether and others are implementing daily limits on the amount of lobster they will buy. Fishermen worry the oversupply is driving down the price and while some in the industry say it could be a sign of longer term problems, one buyer says the backlog is evidence that lobster conservation efforts are working, and it will ease off in a couple of weeks. “Our processing facility is maximized daily, seven days a week and our holding facility is pretty darn full as of Saturday night,” said Osborne Burke, general manager of Victoria Co-operative Fisheries in New Haven, northern Cape Breton. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:41
Lobster prices at the wharf hit $18 a pound in Nova Scotia
Low catches, low inventory and strong demand are driving the price increase in lobster fishing areas from Halifax to Digby. “It’s surprising, I don’t think anyone expected $18 a pound when the season opened,” said Heather Mulock of the Coldwater Lobster Association, which represents lobster fishermen in southwest Nova Scotia. “There were not a lot of catches and that is reflected in the price.” In Halifax, Sobeys is selling live lobster for $18.99 a pound. Buyer Stewart Lamont of Tangier Lobster fears the high price could bump the crustacean off restaurant menus. more, >>click to read<< 14:32
Lobster prices rise as catches fall: ‘They’re all fighting for that product’
The price of lobster is up compared to last year, says the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board. Live lobster is selling for as much as $11.50 a pound, said Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the board, up from $6.50 to $7.50 last year. The jump in price is partly because catches are down now for fishers in New England, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, he said. Catches in New England specifically are down about 16 per cent over the five-year average, he said. photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:48
No excuse for low lobster prices
The prices being paid to PEI lobster fishers a week into the 2023 season are underwhelming, with most getting $6.50 a pound for canners and $7 for markets. Last year fishermen were paid anywhere from $7 to $9 a pound, while in 2021 prices soared as high as $11. At Graham’s Pond, Travis Graham’s crew has been getting $6.50 for canners and $7.25 for markets. He said he doesn’t think much of those rates, but he’s optimistic things will get better. Edwin McKie, who fishes out of Fortune Harbour, said his crew has also been getting $6.50 to $7 on their tickets. But he expects things to get better. A friend in Maine told him prices there dropped from $10 to $7, and there isn’t a lot of lobster coming to shore there either. >click to read< 11:21
Massachusetts fishermen feeling the pinch of lower lobster prices, rising fuel costs
“What we’re seeing this year is astronomical fuel prices, very high bait prices, scarcity of bait, and we’re seeing a starting price that was actually coming off a high high this winter to something that is a little bit lower than expected,” said Nick Muto, a commercial fisherman out of Chatham. “As fishermen, we don’t get to control the price of our lobsters,” said Steve Holler, a commercial fisherman out of Boston. “We’re at the mercy of the dealers.” “I have zero confidence in our administration,” Muto said. “Given the political climate right now, I see this getting much worse before it gets better. This situation that we have in the country right now will cause a lot of fishermen to go out of business, and that’s tragic really.” Photos, >click to read< 18:30
Lobster prices similar to 2021 though costs up, say P.E.I. fishers
Lobster prices are about the same as they were this time last year, but expenses are on the rise, says one P.E.I. fisherman. “Prices and catches are good,” said Malpeque lobster fisher Chris Wall. At the wharf, prices for fishermen are between $7 and $8 per pound, down from $8.50 and $9 per pound earlier in the season, said Wall. The 2021 minimum shore price between June 6-12 was $6.97 per pound while average market price was $9.78 per pound,,, >click to read< 18:55
PEI – Lobster prices remain low as fuel and bait cost soar
The cost of fuel and bait continue to cause concern as fishers in LFA 24 reach the halfway point in their season. “Expenses are at a high right now,” said Korbin Fraser, Captain of the No Worries, based in Northport. “You really got to watch what you’re spending on fuel and bait because your profit can go out the window pretty quick.” Shane Gavin, captain of the Miss Holly 86, based in Seacow Pond, commiserates with Mr Fraser on the expense of these necessities. “You gotta have bait and fuel, you can’t do nothing about it,” said Shane Gavin. “I just hope the lobsters stay where they’re at right now for a while anyway, for another couple of weeks.” While expenses have been increasing, prices haven’t. >click to read< 10:19
Lobster prices dropping
The price of lobster and seafood at large has shot up in recent years, and the price to lobster fishermen at the docks increased by about 60% last year. But lobster prices appear to be leveling off, and some retailers are selling the prized crustaceans for a couple dollars less than last year. Members of the industry said the price to fishermen is also falling at a time when they are struggling with high bait and fuel prices and costly gear conversations intended to try to protect rare whales. “And that’s why it’s hard, if bait was up and fuel was up and the price of lobsters was up, you’d be where you always are,” said Kristan Porter, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “But with those down, that makes it hard to justify going in.” >click to read< 12:08
Lobster prices in P.E.I. similar to last year, but rising fuel costs have had impact
Donnie MacPhee was on his way home when he saw the truck. “Lobsters. Canners: $9.00. Markets: $10.00,” the sign read. MacPhee stopped in and bought one market lobster, the bigger size, to make lobster rolls for him and his wife. He was one of several customers who stopped by Mike Lannigan’s truck in the Nimrod’s parking lot in Stratford,,, The rising cost of fuel has had some impact, but so have the other rising costs, said Lannigan. “Little bit of everything, right? Same as any business, going to throw it off a little bit. >click to read< 07:55
Huge demand pushes record lobster prices - “The price is probably the highest it’s ever been”
Local lobster retailers were selling large lobsters at $9.99 a pound during the first week of November in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This year, the price climbed to $16.99 a pound, a price point it has stayed at since July. ”I think catch price being up has helped,” said Ginny Olsen, a Stonington lobsterman and a board member with the Maine Lobstering Union. For her and other lobstermen in the region, they felt like this moment was a long time coming. “It’s about time,” said David Horner, a Southwest Harbor lobsterman. “We like to make money, too. The amount of risk and investment is enormous.” >click to read< 10:04
“Our industry is quite happy,,, Lobster prices are back up just as 2021 season ends
Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the P.E.I. Lobster Marketing Board, said overall it was a “very good year” for lobster fishers. “Our industry is quite happy with the way things went when you compare it to last year and many other years actually,” McGeoghegan said. “It’s a welcome change for sure.” The season was delayed two weeks due to COVID-19 concerns for the safety of boat crews, and questions over the demand for lobster. The season was extended by four days, but losing 10 days still negatively affected last year’s overall catch numbers and prices. >click to read< 16:12
Lobster prices are through the roof!
As the country reopens post-pandemic, increased demand for lobster and a squeezed supply caused by a state ban on lobstering to protect right whales has resulted in a price spike of about 60% per live lobster. “If there’s no lobsters coming in, then the demand isn’t being met. Those are the cards,” said South Shore Lobsterman Association President John Haverland. According to business publisher Urner Barry, the retail price of a live, one-and-a-half-pound lobster increased from $5.47 a year ago to $9.05 on June 7 this year. >click to read< 08:41
Lower prices, reduced markets ‘doesn’t make for good math’ – P.E.I. fishermen ask for four day season extension
The P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA) has asked for a four-day extension to the spring lobster season. The PEIFA made the request to the federal fisheries minister and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on June 16 to help offset the delayed start to the season. The season started two weeks late because of coronavirus and concerns over the safety of crews on boats, and questions over the demand and markets for lobster. According to the P.E.I. Lobster Marketing Board, about 200 fishermen have been dealing with quotas for most of the season, and prices are down substantially this year — most fishermen have been getting between $3.50 and $4.50 a pound for their catch. >click to read< 21:57
Belize Fishermen hold meeting over proposed lobster prices
As we reported last week, the fishermen are dissatisfied that there is a significant decrease in the price of lobster. This weekend fishermen from northern Belize met in Caye Caulker,,, “We know that the prices are very low and I could guarantee that the Government of Belize is not aware of this. This is just an advantage that the cooperatives are taking from all fishermen to bring down the prices but I think it’s time that the fishermen come united and send a message not only to the management of the cooperative or to the government. I want them to understand that we are not the stepson we are sons of this nation we are the second industry that every year we give the government more than $20 million to the government and I think it’s time that the government puts it’s hand inside this cooperative because there are many dirty things happening inside the cooperative >cick to read< 13:12
After months of lobster industry losses, things may finally be taking a turn for the better
“We’ve come through the pandemic and it’s been challenging for everyone, to say the least,” says Geoff Irvine, Executive Director of The Lobster Council of Canada. This week, lobster season opened for some parts of the Maritimes including the North shore of New Brunswick, some parts of PEI, Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Strait and pars of Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Strait. “We’ve seen the lobster market adjust quite dramatically from very strong demand and high, high prices, record prices in January pre-pandemic, and we’ve adjusted to a new reality and we’re in recovery mode now,” Irvine says. >click to read< 16:01
If you think lobster prices don’t affect you, think again
A recent social media post made by a local marketing firm sharing a photo of a shirt being sold in town that says “Make Lobster $1.97 lb. Again” stirred some controversy. Although it was intended to be a “joke,” it was no joking matter for many of us in the lobster industry. We remember all too well in the early 1990′s when lobsters were indeed this cheap, and how we were hurting. No one in dairy country would joke about milk being $1 a gallon, as most people are well aware of the struggles farmers face,,, Farmers feed our country – and so do American commercial fishermen.,, Right now, more than ever, Maine lobstermen need the public’s support. Maine lobster is well worth every penny paid for it. by Shelley Wigglesworth >click to read< 16:29
Lobster prices range from $7 to $8 per pound in Cape Breton
Lobster fishermen in Cape Breton are getting $7 or more a pound for the last two weeks of the season. Starting prices were $7 and they dropped to $6.50 for a couple of weeks before rising again to $7 for many Cape Breton lobster fishermen. However, some are getting $7.50 or $8 a pound based on who the buyer is. “I don’t understand why in parts of Nova Scotia (like the South Shore) they get fifty-cent more than we do when we’re supposed to have the best product here in Eastern Nova Scotia,” said Garren O’Neil who fishes out of Main-à-Dieu and gets $7 a pound. >click to read< 12:29
Lobster prices – ‘There is a problem with the whole system and it has to be addressed’
The group that markets P.E.I. lobster says this year’s price is good, but could be better. The Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board says fishermen are getting a bit more than last year — between $5 and $5.75 for canner lobsters which are smaller and $6 to $6.75 for larger markets, said the group’s chair and fisherman Charlie MacGeoghegan. He said fishermen in Nova Scotia are getting more for their lobster. “If you take 2018 versus 2017 it was over a dollar a pound in the difference between Nova Scotia and here, so that’s, on last year’s catch that’s $38 million.” >click to read<12:55
Cape Breton – Lobster prices drop for area fishermen
Cape Breton fishermen might be feeling the pinch of a recent drop in the price of lobster. The season for clawed crustaceans opened May 15 in the island’s largest lobster fishing area, which spans from Bay St. Lawrence to Fourchu. Marlene Brogan, manager of Ballast Ground Fisheries, said when the season opened the price of landed lobster was $6.50. On Friday, it dropped for some fishermen to $6, with the retail price coming in at $9.50 for live lobsters. >click to read<12:02
Lobster prices expected to be ‘highest ever’ for start of season
Prices at the wharf for lobster taken form the waters in the Northumberland Strait are expected to fetch between $7 and $7.50 per lb., said Ron Heighton, president of the Northumberland Fishermen’s Association. Heighton said the fishermen won’t know for sure what they will be paid until likely sometime this week but based on the higher-than-normal prices being paid elsewhere, wharf prices are also expected to be up along the north shore. At the beginning of last year, processers and buyers were paying about $6.50/lb. for market-sized lobster compared to about $5.75/lb. for the same period in 2015. click here to read the story 17:08
Lobster prices high as catch drops and China imports climb
Lobster lovers are used to adjusting to high prices, but this winter, they’re shelling out even more for the cherished crustaceans because of a lack of catch off of New England and Canada and heavy exports to China. Winter is typically a slow season for U.S. lobster fishermen and an active one off Atlantic Canada. But catch is slow in both countries this year, in part because of bad weather, industry sources said. And the winter months are also an important time for exports to lobster-crazy China, which celebrates its New Year holiday Jan. 28. It’s increasingly popular to celebrate the Chinese New Year with American lobster. That’s causing demand at a time when supply is low. Read the story here 17:54
How a national craze caused lobster prices to boil over
The coast-to-coast craze of lobster roll food trucks has made lobster more affordable, and abroad the appetite for the crustaceans is growing as well, experts say.”The demand for this product now is really unprecedented,” said Annie Tselikis, marketing director for Maine Coast Co., a live lobster wholesaler based in York, Maine. She spoke Monday just before boarding a flight for a seafood trade show in South Korea, a major customer of North American lobsters along with China and others. According to John Sackton, one of the chief reasons prices are so high in August, September and October is “because the processors are buying lobster for customers such as lobster roll trucks, competing with the live lobster buyers. And that’s pushed up the price for lobster overall.” As a result, fresh lobster meals at some well-known Boston seafood restaurants are going nearly $60 for the 2- or 2.5-pound lobster and about $44 for the 1.25-pound. In Maine, lobster dinners at fine dining locations can set you back around $50, and in New York City and California you’re looking at upward of $70. Read the rest here 10:31
Lobster prices in New England have spiked to their highest level in more than a decade
Annie Tselikis, marketing director at Maine Coast Co. and executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, said demand for live and processed lobster has been strong all summer.“We have seen higher prices in the marketplace this summer … on par with the demand that we’re seeing,” she said. “It’s been crazy since the Fourth of July.” Tselikis said a big reason for the boost in demand for processed lobster is that distributors have stepped up their efforts to create new markets. Much of the recent growth in demand has come from Asian markets including China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam, she said. “We’re seeing lobster in places where it didn’t exist before,” Tselikis said. Read the story here 07:04
Slowing Chinese lobster demand, anticipated early season likely mean more conservative pricing
Lobster prices have fallen significantly after anticipation of continued strong growth in Chinese demand failed to come to fruition, with some industry executives expecting more conservative pricing for next season. In September last year, strong Chinese demand was keeping lobster prices high despite the usual post-Labor Day slowdown in the US, with softshell lobster selling for between $4.75 to $5.75 a pound. Some sources predicted that high prices could remain the norm for the foreseeable future. “Last year prices surged, but we had a long cold winter, supply was short, demand from China drove prices up pretty [high],” said Neil Zarella of Boston Lobster Company. Read the article here 15:39
Lobster prices hold steady as demand wavers in US, rises in China
Despite the annual post-Labor Day slowdown in US demand for lobster, high prices, initially caused by a shortage of product after a harsh winter, are unlikely to start dropping anytime soon, bolstered by the growing Chinese demand. According to Peter McAleney of New Meadows Lobster in Portland, Maine, lobster prices are about 50 cents higher than they were this time last year. Neil Zarella of the Boston Lobster Company said that soft-shell lobsters are selling from $4.75 to $5.75 per pound. Read the rest here 12:52
Lobster prices up in New England as season off to slow start
Prices are high because 
— the season picks up after the bulk of lobsters shed shells and reach legal harvesting size, and lobstermen said that hasn’t happened yet. This year’s summer lobster fishing season appears likely to feature a mid-July shed followed by a boom in catch, said Tim Harkins, president of the Maine Lobster Dealers Association. “Everyone I’ve spoken to expects to see new shell lobsters after (July) 4th,” he said. Read the rest here 11:01
Maine lobster industry – Long winter boosts lobster prices
The unusually cold winter may finally be over, but the is still feeling its effects. The current wholesale market price of lobster is up to an average of $9 a pound, even higher in some places. Those high prices could last into the midsummer season before soft shell lobsters hit the menu. “The water temperature right now is 38, last year at this time it was around 42, 43. So we’re behind in the temperature. We might make it up if the spring gets a lot warmer, we might get caught up,” said sale manager of Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor, Rob Bauer. Read the rest here
P.E.I. fall lobster prices are going up and landings are good according to fishermen’s group
Prices in the last week have moved up to $3.50 a pound for canner size lobster and $4.00 a pound for markets, according to the president of the Prince County Fishermen’s Association, Lee Knox. Read the rest here 10:21
Lobster prices rocket on supply downturn
Lobster prices are at extremely high levels as supply remains low at the summer’s close. Prices are in the mid-$17/lb. range for the price of tails and lobster meat sold from processors to retailers and restaurants, up 13.3% from the mid-$15 range in July. “It’s now a question of how sustainable is this,” the processor said. Read the rest here 14:03
Lobster prices lowest in a generation, say fishermen – Plentiful lobster supply and reduced demand blamed for low price
Fisherman Leonard LeBlanc of Cheticamp said he can’t remember prices this low in 30 years. “At $3.25 we’re not covering our costs we’re just trying to mitigate the expenses, at least pay some of them, not all of them and we’re praying we don’t have any major repairs.” The fishermen said the problem is a glut of lobster on the market. Catches are the best they’ve been in years, but there’s little demand. continued@cbcnews
