Lobster fishermen keeping at it despite low prices and windy weather

Another update on this week's lobster fishing just in from my mother. She says...

"It is sunny and not too cold out with calmer winds. The men are out on the water! It is always hard this time of year. They can not count on being able to go out on a regular basis, and I can not count on them being out there either! Some mornings Dad is up and down in the bed like a yo yo. He comes down to listen to the weather and calls about how much wind there is, then decides to wait for another hour flopping back into the bed. It is hard for him the waiting game too. They are hoping that the wind will not blow to very hard today and tomorrow so they can get hauled around."

The weather is a constant force to be reckoned with in the life of a lobster fisherman. In the summer, the warm inland air reacts with the cool water and often creates fog so thick it's impossible to fish due to the poor visibility. This summer, Maine was shut in with fog more days than not, making for a real challenge.

In the fall, you have the winds, which create rough seas and make fishing quite dangerous. While the boats of today are quite seaworthy, if a wave catches you at the wrong angle, it can easily swamp your boat. In the winter strong winds and rough seas force most lobstermen fishermen to bring their traps ashore until spring. Given the fishing is slow through the winter months, it makes more sense to spend this time repairing your traps and doing other odd jobs.

As mentioned in previous posts, the current price of lobsters continues to be another discouraging factor this season. Many fishermen in Western Maine have already taken up their gear which is giving a bit of a boost to the demand of lobster Downeast (though we have yet to see that reflected in the price per pound). The lobster fishing season has just kicked off in Canada and I am reading that many of the fishermen are protesting and refusing to fish, demanding that the prices go up. I might report a bit on this here if I find something of interest.

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