The Maine Department of Marine Resources on Wednesday released figures for the 2008 Maine lobster harvest.Maine lobstermen last year caught 67.4 million pounds, up about 3 million pounds from 2007, valued at USD 235.6 million (EUR 178.4 million), down USD 49.7 million (EUR 37.6 million) from 2007.
The state's lobster harvest has risen sharply over the past two decades. Twenty years ago, the state's annual harvest was less than 30 million pounds. In the past 10 years, the catch has ranged from 53 million to 75 million pounds.
Lobstermen took a huge hit when the economy slumped last fall, pushing lobster prices down to all-time lows. The average wholesale price of lobster fell to about USD 3.50 (EUR 2.65) a pound, a 21 percent decline from 2007.
Maine, which has nearly 6,000 licensed lobstermen and an estimated 3 million traps, represents about 80 percent of the nation's American lobster catch. Lobster is by far Maine's No. 1 seafood.
When the lobster market tanked last fall, Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed an executive order establishing a task force to examine Maine's lobster industry and make recommendations on how to maintain its long-term viability.
The task force's goals include expanding and diversifying markets for live and processed lobster, increasing product quality and promoting the Maine lobster brand. The panel is expected to issue its report in the next two weeks.
