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U.S. NEWS A7
Saturday 4 March 2017

American Living:

Maine fishermen set lobster record for seventh straight year

Lobster are seen at the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport, Maine. But David Cousens, a mercially harvested ma- American lobsters are
The state’s lobstermen set a record for the value of the lobster South Thomaston lob- rine resources topped also caught off of other
catch for the seventh year in a row. Maine lobsters were worth sterman and the presi- $700 million in 2016, an coastal New England
a little more than $533 million at the docks in 2016, exceeding dent of the Maine Lob- all-time record buoyed states and New York, but
the previous year’s record total by more than $30 million, Marine stermen’s Association, by the lobster industry, Maine accounts for the
Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said. cautions that the trend is state regulators said. bulk of the catch. Ca-
unlikely to continue and Keliher said the lobster nadian fishermen also
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) says “we need to pre- catch has raised the val- catch lobsters.
pare for the future.” ue of the Atlantic herring The total U.S. catch was
PATRICK WHITTLE the previous record of Cousens notes that fishery, which supplies nearly 147 million in 2015
Associated Press nearly 128 million in 2013. Maine’s lobster popu- bait fish used by lob- and more than 80 per-
ROCKPORT, Maine (AP) Conservative manage- lation is dependent on ster fishermen. While the cent of the total came
— For the seventh year ment of the lobster fishery baby lobster settlement, Atlantic herring catch ashore in Maine, with
in a row, Maine lobster- has allowed the fishery which is the process by dipped by about 10 per- Massachusetts mak-
men have set a record to thrive in recent years, which young lobsters cent last year, its value ing up most of the rest.
for the value of their lob- regulators said. Scien- reach the ocean floor grew about 40 percent The national lobster fish-
ster catch. tists have said warming and grow. Some recent to more than $19 mil- ery also set a record in
Maine lobsters were oceans might also play years have shown poor lion, an all-time record. value in 2015 at more
worth a little more than a role, as the center of settlement off Maine, Maine’s softshell clams, than $620 million. Na-
$533 million at the docks the lobster population according to data com- scallops and haddock, tional numbers for 2016
in 2016, exceeding the appears to be moving piled by Rick Wahle, a which are popular food haven’t yet been post-
previous year’s record north as waters warm. marine ecologist with species, were worth only ed by the National Oce-
by more than $30 million, The catch off of Rhode the University of Maine. about $4 million more anic and Atmospheric
Marine Resources Com- Island and Connecti- All told, Maine’s com- combined. Administration.q
missioner Patrick Keliher cut has plummeted as
said Friday. Maine’s has soared.
Interest in American lob- “You can’t leave warm-
sters has skyrocketed in ing water out of the con-
Asia, especially China, versation,” Keliher said
in recent years, aiding at the Maine Fishermen’s
the value of the crus- Forum, the industry’s an-
taceans, which remain nual summit.
popular with Americans Maine’s lobster catch
on summer vacation has been climbing in val-
and Europeans at Christ- ue and volume for sev-
mas. eral years, with the state
At the same time, U.S. surpassing 100 million
lobster fishermen have pounds for the first time
been catching more in 2011. The total value
lobsters. Maine also set of the catch at the dock
a record for volume in leaped from less than
2016, with state fisher- $240 million in 2009 to
men catching nearly 131 more than $315 million in
million pounds of lobster 2010 and has continued
last year. That surpassed to climb since.