Tag Archives: lobsterman Dwight Staples
Lobstermen pinched as inflation, new regulations cause cost of delicacy to rise
Dwight Staples, who has worked as a lobsterman in Stonington, Maine, for 15 years, said modern-day lobster fishing can be complex, and this season is producing additional challenges. “Lobsters seem to be migrating more east, and therefore our catch is going down,” Staples said. On top of the smaller catches, he said the price of bait has risen from $30 per tray to around $100 per tray, and fuel is three times more expensive than what it used to cost. From the fisherman, then to a processor, and finally to the grocery store or restaurant, with every hand that touches a lobster, the price goes up. Video, >click to read< 07:42
Maine Lobstermen speak out about economic and regulatory struggles
“We get told what we’re going to get paid for the product, and we get told what we’re going to be charged for the bait. We’re the ones providing, and it seems as though we’re also getting the short end of the stick,” said commercial lobsterman Dwight Staples. With rising inflation, fisherman say they’ve been hit hard. “For me personally, it was like $800 a day just to go fishing — and that was on like a three dollar lobster. So you’ve got to go, and you’ve got to catch over 250 pounds before you even break expense,” said Staples. In addition to the rising costs of running a lobster fishing business, lobstermen say that fishing regulations have made it more difficult to turn a profit, even when reeling in a good haul. Video, >click to read< 09:07
