Is the Maine lobster boom over? Or is it just cooling off a bit? The state’s Department of Marine Resources just released the numbers for the annual lobster catch in 2017, and it was the lowest in six years. The industry is still strong; Maine fishermen brought in more than 110.8 million pounds of lobster last year, a healthy number. But they caught more than 120 million pounds in each of the previous five years.
And Maine lobstermen, who catch about 80 percent of all lobsters in the U.S., made slightly less money last year, when they were paid $3.91 a pound at the dock, down from about $4.08 in 2016, according to the state.
Patrick Keliher, the Marine Resources Commissioner, said that the 2017 catch was affected by bad weather in November and December, and warming in the Gulf of Maine. Some marine scientists worry that the population of baby lobsters has fallen in recent years, speculating that the catch could be lower this year.
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