Even in the heat of summer the effects of the recent long, cold winter are still evident, especially within the lobster industry.
A late start to the season in both Canada and Maine has kept prices high as demand increases with the summer tourist season in the Northeast and from international markets.
“There’s definitely strong demand,” said a New Brunswick lobster processor and producer of value-added lobster products. “But once the lobster roll season finishes, things should settle down.”
Because lobsters are shedding later this year, hard shells from Canada are still being processed, he said, and that sits well with his customers from Asia and Europe who prefer the meat from hard-shell lobsters.
“In the spring there’s a big spike in demand because the Europeans, Japanese and Chinese all want hard shells,” he said. Soft shells yield about 60 percent less meat than the hard shells. “Once the Maine season starts for us in terms of processing, the Asian and European markets stop buying.”
He said prices have stayed high because of strong demand from the Chinese buyers for whole cooked and whole raw hard-shell lobsters. “That takes a lot of meat off the market,” he noted.
Prices for premium claw and knuckle meat has been in the USD 20 (EUR 18.03) or higher range, he said.
A four-day extension was added to the Canadian lobster fishing season by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to compensate for the late start. Instead of ending 1 July, the season’s conclusion was set for 4 July.
In Maine, the lingering cold water has delayed molting, said a specialty food producer that specializes in lobster. As a buyer of cooked lobster meat, she said processors are struggling to keep up with demand. And prices have risen, she added.
“My price went up by USD 1 a pound just last week,” she said.
The Maine catch is expected to pick up steam during July and numbers should be on par with last year. “But it’s tight right now,” she said. “The cold weather definitely had something to do with it.”
Prices for live Maine lobster at retail is in the USD 8 (EUR 7.21) to USD 10 (EUR 9.02) range, which is higher by about a dollar per pound over last year. Meanwhile, Boston ex-vessel prices to fishermen were USD 5 (EUR 4.51) to 5.50 (EUR 4.96) per pound in early July.
The late start to the season isn’t expected to reduce Maine’s overall catch, however, which has been approximately 100 million pounds per year.
