One of Bar Harbor’s most frequent cruise ship visitors is set to purchase a literal ton of local lobster next time they pull into port.
The planned purchase of 2,000 pounds of lobster by Holland America Lines for passengers on the liner Massdam comes during a crisis-of-sorts for the local lobster industry, the result of historically low prices and high fuel and bait costs.
“If we could make a big enough thing out of this, that the trickle down effect could come out of this and help our prices...it's only doing good,” said local lobsterman and influential industry representative Jon Carter. “Any new market that can be developed now is good for the industry.”
Local officials and lobstermen have for years discussed the potentials of selling to cruise lines, but regulations, red tape and the sheer enormity of the procurement process have been seen as insurmountable roadblocks, said town councilor Paul Paradis, one of the main coordinators of the project. The current crisis in the lobster industry, he said, sparked a renewed interest and an energetic response.
