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U.S. NEWSFriday 4 March 2016

American Living:

Warm ocean could mean early boom in 2016 lobster catch

Brandon Demmons measures the carapace, the shell of the lobster, to determine if the crusta- lobster season on warm- riding a wave of heavy
cean is within the legal size limits while working as a sternman aboard aboard a lobster fishing ing ocean temperatures. hauls and high values in re-
boat off of Monhegan Island, Maine. Maine’s lobster catches will likely peak early this year, which Along Maine’s coast, tem- cent years.
could mean an abundance of cheap lobster for consumers and bad news for the state’s signature peratures are 2 to 3 de- Annual lobster catches
industry, a group of scientists reported on Thursday, March 3, 2016. grees Fahrenheit higher in the U.S. grew from 71.7
than normal. That means million pounds in 2003 to
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) lobsters are likely to move about 148 million pounds
inshore, shed their shells in 2014. The total value of
PATRICK WHITTLE signature industry, a group the Portland-based Gulf of and become more eas- the catch about doubled
Associated Press of scientists reported on Maine Research Institute ily trapped earlier this sum- in that time.
ROCKPORT, Maine (AP) — Thursday. predict this year’s lobster mer, they said. Scientists with Gulf of
Maine’s lobster catches Maine’s busy summer lob- season will get rolling two An early lobster season Maine Research Institute
will likely peak early this ster fishing season typically or three weeks early. can disrupt Maine’s valu- were quick to point out
year, which could mean picks up around early July, The scientists, who unveiled able lobster supply chain, that early lobster catches
an abundance of cheap the same time the state’s their findings during the which is partially depen- don’t necessarily guaran-
lobster for consumers and tourism industry gets in Maine Fishermen’s Forum in dent on big July and Au- tee a drop in price. One
bad news for the state’s gear. But scientists with Rockport, pinned the early gust catches, and make of the big factors influenc-
prices plummet. Prices at ing price is the volume of
the dock fell 16 percent in catch, and there’s no way
2012, a year of early catch- of predicting that, said
es, and prices to consum- Katherine Mills, a research
ers fell, too. The 2014 haul scientist with the institute.
shattered state value re- Mills added that in recent
cords because of a high- years the industry has
volume catch that arrived worked to open up new
on schedule. markets for lobster that
“If the timing is off by just aren’t tied to summer tour-
a few weeks, it can have ism, such as increased ex-
a major impact through- ports to China. Also, the
out the supply chain,” said industry will be able to pre-
Andrew Pershing, the chief pare in advance for early
scientific officer with the re- hauls, unlike in 2012, she
search institute. said.
Maine is by far the most “From harvesters to deal-
productive lobster fishing ers and transporters all the
state in the country, ac- way up to processors and
counting for more than 80 marketers, people have
percent of the haul in 2014, been wondering what to
and the industry has been do if this happens again,”
Mills said. “This will give
Offshore wind projects in US see renewed interest them 2 to 3 months of lead
time.”
PHILIP MARCELO soned European offshore York hedge fund is the prin- past year is DONG Energy, But Dave Cousens, the
Associated Press wind companies are in- cipal backer of Deepwa- a Danish firm that operates president of the Maine Lob-
BOSTON (AP) — The off- creasingly committing to ter Wind, a Rhode Island- more than a dozen wind stermen’s Association, said
shore wind industry has projects along the East based company looking farms, including some of the possibility of early lob-
high hopes for establish- Coast. That, they said, is ev- to launch the country’s first Europe’s largest. The gov- sters is “not good” for lob-
ing a permanent beach- idence a domestic industry offshore wind farm off Block ernment-owned company stermen, even if it means
head in the U.S. after years dreamed about for nearly Island by the end of the has leased roughly 187,000 prices to consumers fall.
of disappointment. Busi- two decades is finally on year. “The U.S. tends to start acres of federal waters “We need them when
ness leaders and politicians its way.“There’s a palpable small and ramp up very about 15 miles south of the people want them,”
who gathered for an in- sense that it’s finally hap- fast. I believe that will hap- Martha’s Vineyard in Mas- he said. “If it comes early,
dustry conference in Bos- pening,” said Bryan Mar- pen with offshore wind.” sachusetts and recently an- in any amount, we re-
ton this week said wealthy tin, a managing director at Among the significant new nounced intentions to seek ally have nowhere to put
investment firms and sea- D.E. Shaw & Co. That New players to emerge in the a second federal lease in them.”

waters off New Jersey.