Tag Archives: Maine lobster
Weatherbeaten Maine Seeks More Resilient Infrastructure
Stonington, Maine, is an island town in Penobscot Bay with a year-round population of just over 1,000 people. Its lobster fishing port is the biggest in the state, supplying about 11 percent of all the Maine lobster that gets shipped to food markets around the world. In January, a winter storm caused a surge that flooded out a string of privately owned wharves that support the lobster industry and washed over a publicly owned commercial pier, knocking out all of its electronics. “We basically got hit by a wall of water,” says Linda Nelson, Stonington’s director of economic development. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:10
Restaurant Chain Lobster Mac & Cheese Ranked Worst to Best, According to Customers
Both mac & cheese and lobster shine as individual dining options. Now, picture them combined into one spectacular dish. A delightful fusion of contrasting flavors and textures, lobster mac & cheese elevates a classic comfort food into a gourmet experience. Although the exact origins of when and where lobster was first added to this gooey dish are unknown, according to The New York Times, its popularity surged in 2011 following a record-breaking harvest of Maine lobster. Eager to test your taste buds? Here are some of the best and worst chain restaurants to get your lobster mac & cheese fix, as rated by customers! photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:16
Monterey Bay Aquarium In Hot Water Over Alleged Defamatory Statements About Maine Lobster Industry
The aquarium’s Seafood Watch program assigns ratings to varieties of seafood based on environmental impact and sustainability. In September of 2022, Seafood Watch published a “red” rating for lobster caught in certain Canadian and U.S. fisheries. Seafood Watch’s current red, “avoid” rating instructs the public to “take a pass on these for now. They’re caught or farmed in ways that harm marine life or the environment.” The aquarium’s rating, allegedly based on “all scientific data,” claimed that lobster fishing practices in the stated region (specifically, pot, trap and gillnet fisheries) pose “significant risks of entanglement” to North Atlantic right whales and that the fisheries are putting the species “at risk of extinction” and therefore could not be considered “sustainable.” The Gulf of Maine is the center of the U.S. lobster industry. >click to read< 09:12
Maine lobstermen snipped by inflation as 2022 results fall nearly 50%
Fishers of Maine lobster, one of the most lucrative seafood species in the U.S., had a smaller haul during a year in which the industry battled surging fuel and bait prices, rebukes from key retailers and the looming possibility of new fishing restrictions. Maine lobster has exploded in value in recent years in part due to growing international demand from countries such as China. The industry brought about 98 million pounds of lobster to the docks worth about $389 million in 2022, Maine regulators said Friday. That was more than 11% less than the previous year, in which they harvested more than 110 million pounds of lobster worth more than $740 million. The value of lobsters also fell to a little less than $4 per pound at the docks, the lowest since 2017, a year after setting a record of more than $6.70 in 2021. >click to read< 10:33
Ongoing Legal Battles Put Maine Lobster Fishery in Crosshairs, Results in Suspension of Marine Stewardship Council Certification
An ongoing legal dispute between environmental activists and the federal government has led Maine Lobster’s Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fishing certification to be suspended. An independent auditor conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the fishery earlier this year and determined that Maine Lobster is a well-managed and sustainable fishery according to MSC fisheries standards. Shortly after this assessment, a court ruled that regulations issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service to govern the management of North American right whales (NARW) do not meet the requirements of federal laws to protect endangered species. As a result of this court ruling, while the industry has complied with all regulations in good faith, the independent auditor suspended the MSC certificate of the fishery. >click to read< 18:02
A Complicated Battle in the Gulf of Maine
It was two hours before dawn in the village of Friendship, but for a Maine lobster crew, it was already getting late. Captain Dustin Delano, his sternman, Chris, and his bait guy, Tim, moved in coordinated loops around the deck of the F/V Knotty Lady, stacking traps, thawing redfish heads and coiling lines to the gentle bass notes of engines rumbling below decks. In its own way, it had the feel of a chamber orchestra tuning up. Last cigarettes were lit, smoked and flicked away. And with that, we were off to the grounds. Soon, though, if things go according to a ruling by a federal court in Portland, that schedule would be thrown into chaos. In accordance with a recent modification to a federal whale plan, a 950-square-mile area of prime lobster fishing grounds was set to close in an effort to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Enter Green Energy – Where and how Maine would site farms to exploit this potential is an open question. >click to read< 11:09
Lobstermen’s group stresses connection to Maine tourism as new whale regulations approach
The head of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association spoke at the Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo in Portland Wednesday about threats she said could erase Maine’s lobster industry and hurt the hospitality industry along with it. Association Executive Director Patrice McCarron said the lobster industry is a driver of local economies, with 4,800 vessel owners running independent small businesses, and collectively providing 10,000 jobs on the boats alone, many of those jobs irreplaceable in remote coastal areas. And the industry is booming,,, “With all that’s going so well for us, how could we possibly be looking at our fishing heritage being erased?” McCarron asked the audience. “The reason for that is the North Atlantic right whale.” >click to read< 07:50
David Foster Wallace – Consider the Lobster
Originally published Aug, 2004. The assigned subject of this article is the 56th Annual MLF, July 30 to August 3, 2003, whose official theme was “Lighthouses, Laughter, and Lobster.”,,, For practical purposes, everyone knows what a lobster is. As usual, though, there’s much more to know than most of us care about—it’s all a matter of what your interests are. Taxonomically speaking, a lobster is a marine crustacean of the family Homaridae, characterized by five pairs of jointed legs, the first pair terminating in large pincerish claws used for subduing prey. Like many other species of benthic carnivore, lobsters are both hunters and scavengers. They have stalked eyes, gills on their legs, and antennae. There are dozens of different kinds worldwide, of which the relevant species here is the Maine lobster, Homarus americanus. The name “lobster” comes from the Old English loppestre, which is thought to be a corrupt form of the Latin word for locust combined with the Old English loppe, which meant spider. >click to read< 09;14
Maine lobster industry salvaged its summer despite pandemic
The Maine lobster industry is in the midst of a multiyear boom, and fishermen have caught more than 100 million pounds (45,360,000 kilograms) for a record nine years in a row. It’s hard to guess whether they’ll reach that total again, but summer 2020 hasn’t been half bad for a season in which many fishermen expected collapse, said Kristan Porter, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “Especially early in the season when nothing was open, no restaurants were open. We were thinking it would be a complete disaster,” Porter said. “If it stays like this, we can struggle through and have a season, and then get ready to fish next year.”>click to read< 17:03
US-China Trade Deal: US lobster dealers anxious to resume business with China
Hugh Reynolds, a lobster dealer from Stonington, Maine, was excited to learn that the China-US phase-one economic and trade deal came into effect on Feb 14. According to the deal, China promises to purchase more agricultural products from the United States, and lobster is highlighted in the sector.,, Annie Tselikis, executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, said China accounted for 15 percent to 20 percent of the export value of US lobsters at the time. >click to read< 09:43
Maine lobster harvest value jumps by $46 million!
State officials say Maine fishermen caught $46 million more worth of lobster in 2018 than they did the previous year. Maine lobstermen caught 120 million pounds of lobster worth $484 million last year, the fishery’s third-highest annual total value ever, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday morning. That amount is 8 million pounds more than the 112 million pounds they caught in 2017, and $46 million more than the $438 million worth that they brought ashore in Maine that same year. >click to read<14:21
President Donald Trump’s inaugural lunch menu will feature Maine Lobster, Gulf Wild Shrimp, and California Champagne
Soon after he’s sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump will dine on Maine lobster, Gulf shrimp, and Seven Hills Angus beef, to name a few dishes. These foods are all on the menu for the inaugural luncheon, a long-standing tradition in which the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosts a meal for the president and vice president at the Capitol following the inaugural address. The committee organized its first luncheon in 1953, when lawmakers welcomed President Dwight Eisenhower for creamed chicken, baked ham and potato puffs in the Capitol’s Old Senate Chamber. Trump’s, which will be held in the Statuary Hall, will feature three courses. The first, Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and peanut crumble, will be accompanied by a J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay. Read the story here 07:51
Researchers: Global Warming Could Wipe Out Maine Lobsters in 85 Years!
The Gulf of Maine is warming at an alarming rate. Research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows ocean temperatures are rising at three times the rate of global averages. This increase in temperatures is linked to the collapse of the New England cod population, and new research shows the fate of the Maine lobster is likely similar. A new report from the University of Maine Darling Marine Center and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences predicts the Maine lobster population will be wiped out by 2100 due to climate change. The study examined how lobster larvae are impacted by rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. Although acidification seems to have no significant impact on the larvae, warming temperatures are a different story. Lobsters reared in water that is 3 degrees Celsius warmer than current temperatures in the western Gulf of Maine had bleak survival rates. Read the rest here 11:51
Sweden Asks EU to Stop American Lobster Invasion. How do they know they’re not Canadian?!!
Sweden has asked the European Union for help to stop an invasion of American lobsters, saying they could wipe out their European cousins with deadly diseases. The Swedish Environment Ministry said Friday that more than 30 American lobsters have been found along Sweden’s west coast in recent years. It said the American lobster, also known as Maine lobster, “can carry diseases and parasites that could spread to the European lobster and result in extremely high mortality.” It also said interbreeding among the crustaceans could have “negative genetic effects” and threaten the survival of the European species. Sweden asked the EU to list the American lobster as a “foreign species,” which would prohibit imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc. link 11:11
Video – Maine Lobster Sales Surge in Winter for Chinese New Year
In New England, the appetite for Maine lobster peaks in the summer, but halfway across the world, that hunger hits in the dead of winter. Lobster has become a big part of Chinese New Year, which is the week of Feb. 8-12. It;s the nation’s largest celebration, and as Cindy Han, a board member of the and American Friendship Association explains, it is centered around food. “Almost every Chinese New Year meal is going to have fish,” said Han. It’s one dish in particular that’s surging in popularity: Maine lobster. Video, Read the rest here 10:26
Oprah debuts new online store with Maine lobster
The lobster is fabulous!!!
Up your game Amazon. There’s a new online shopping destination that’s Oprah approved. The O store, launched by the Oprah Winfrey Network last week, provides online access to the top picks in luxury goods and services across the country. Curated by the lifestyle queen herself, the food section is sweet on Topsham’s Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company. “Her creative director is a fan,” said owner Cal Hancock on the phone Tuesday. “This is an honor.” Read the rest here 13:47
There’s something strange happening to the Maine lobster population this year — and it could drastically raise prices
Reports of fisherman hauling out record amounts of lobster over the past few years make it seem that lobster should be pretty cheap. But that’s last year. This year the price of lobster is going up thanks to changing water temperatures. But now, three years later, price is on the rise again because the harsh winter that recently hit New England dropped ocean temperatures around Maine to the lower end of the lobster comfort zone. Read the rest here 11:35
Maine lobster marketers look to re-brand ‘shedders’ as treat
When Maine’s lobsters start shedding their shells, restaurant owner Steve Kingston goes to the docks with a message for lobstermen: bring ’em to me. Kingston is among a group of people in Maine’s lifeblood seafood industry trying to make the coming season the summer of shedders. The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, a group funded by the state’s lobster fishermen, dealers and processors, is launching a push to re-brand recently-molted lobsters as a regional treat that deserves more attention from chefs, restaurants and vacationing tourists. Read the rest here 11:49
Canada lobster fishery delayed; Maine prices start to drop
While Maine lobster prices have been high throughout the winter and spring because of rough weather conditions, they started to decline this week in anticipation of the Canadian lobster fishery opening soon. However, the Canadian lobster opening has been delayed because of harsh, icy conditions. Meanwhile, in Maine,,, Read the rest here 18:49
What to do with an icon: Boston PR firm hired to retool branding for Maine lobster
“We’ve got a great story to tell,” adds David Cousens, a fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “We’re poor at telling it, but we need to get better at it. We’re independent businessmen, we catch the product, we bring it in fresh. It’s a great, healthy, wild-caught product coming out of pristine water. We need to get that story out there because that story sells.” Read the rest here 20:59
Another year of historic landings and improved value for Maine lobster announced
For the third year in a row and only the third time ever, Maine lobster fishermen landed more than 120 million pounds with a record overall value of $456,935,346, according to preliminary landings data reported today, Feb. 26, by the state Department of Marine Resources. At $3.69 per pound, the 123,676,100 pounds landed represented an improvement of 79 cents per pound over 2013, the largest one-year increase in per pound value since DMR and National Marine Fisheries Service began keeping records. Read the rest here 18:51
Proposed Dredging of Searsport Harbor Threatens Maine Lobster Industry
With nearly half of all Maine lobster catches coming from the Penobscot Bay, dredging will have a huge impact on the lobster industry. If the dredging doesn’t cause irreparable, long-term harm to lobster populations, the associated mercury contamination could tarnish the reputation of Maine lobster. Read more here 07:59
I ain’t buyin’ it. Maine lobster caught, released at Farallon Islands
The first Maine lobster verified off the Bay Area coast was caught by accident last week in a crab trap set by Sean Hodges of the sport fishing boat Hog Heaven. After a photo to prove the event, Hodges released the lobster back to the sea. The lobster was found in a crab trap that had been set on the ocean floor 250 feet deep near the Farallon Islands. more@sfgate 22:50
Some lobstermen refuse to take bait on new surcharge – “Advertising directly benefits the dealers’ market,”
As legislators work on a plan to provide millions of dollars to market and promote Maine lobster by adding a surcharge to licenses, some lobstermen are balking at paying for an advertising campaign that they say will take money out of their pockets without giving them much in return. continue reading
Lobster council executive director abruptly resigns from Maine Lobster Promotion Council
PORTLAND, Maine — As Maine and its lobster industry work to revamp the way the state’s signature seafood is promoted, there has been an abrupt shakeup in who will lead that effort.
Dane Somers, executive director of the Maine Lobster Promotion Council, resigned his position Tuesday, according to a press release sent out by the council. Marianne LaCroix, the council’s director of marketing the past six years, takes over as acting director, effective immediately, according to the council’s chairwoman, Emily Lane. Lane is vice president of sales for Calendar Islands Maine Lobster Company.
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/02/business/lobster-council-executive-director-abruptly-resigns/
