The Current Boat Price of Maine Lobster

Maine Lobster. Photo courtesy of Billy Kitchen.

As mentioned in a previous post, the Maine lobster fishing season is well under way.  My father is almost through with setting out all of his traps, as are many of the fishermen in Cutler and up and down the coast of Maine.  Despite the shockingly cold winter, the lobsters do seem to be moving a bit.

The boat price in Cutler is currently $5.00 per pound which is a good price but standard for this time of year when there is not much fresh lobster on the market.  As the lobstermen start bringing in bigger catches and the lobster pounds start filling up, the price of lobster will drop some.  As explained in my book, "with lobster fishing, for the most part, catch and price are inversely related. The price comes to its peak during February and March, when catches are at their annual low. In the fall, when catches reach their peak, fishermen receive the lowest boat prices of the year."  

For the most part, fishermen base their fishing efforts on the availability of lobster and the seasonal weather conditions instead of the market price.  They set out in the spring when the water is warm enough for the lobsters to start moving and take their traps up in the late fall when the lobsters become scarce and the weather becomes unseasonable.  Between those two seasons the boat price of lobster will fluctuate greatly and frequently, depending on the economy, the timing of the shedder season and the overall volume of lobster caught.  By the time I hit publish on this post, the boat price of lobster could already have changed. I am interested to see how this lobster fishing season will play out with regards to volumes caught and prices paid.

To read more recent updates on the Maine lobster fishing season, click here. 

Fresh Maine Lobster. Photo courtesy of Billy Kitchen.