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PORTLAND, MAINE >> Prices for Maine’s most popular export are currently much higher than usual due to high demand and the possibility that those who catch lobsters have a slower season.
Maine lobsters usually get cheaper over the summer as catches increase off the state’s coast. But this year, wholesale prices, which usually drop to $ 8 or $ 9 a pound, never fell below $ 10.50. And they rose even higher in early fall, dwarfing recent records and getting consumers to give more money at the fish counter.
Industry members said interest in lobster from food processors and international buyers is driving strong demand for the crustaceans. Meanwhile, the fishing season may lag a little behind the pace of recent years, so supply is scarce, they said.
“The season may have been a little sub-par, but the price was pretty decent, so I think we’ll be fine,” said Kristan Porter, a lobster fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
The American lobster industry, which is primarily based in Maine, experiences price fluctuations over the course of a typical year. Lobsters are usually fished heavily in the summer when they lose their shells and many reach legal size.
This year, the wholesale price remains high in early fall, as the average price in September was $ 11.52, according to business publisher Urner Barry. That was the second highest price for a month in the last five years and the highest in a month of high season.
Consumers are paying in the range of $ 15 a pound – about a third more than a year ago and twice as much as they did in some previous summers and early fall months.
“It’s a very unusual year – and it’s far enough in the fall that I don’t see that change,” said John Sackton, industry analyst and founder of SeafoodNews.com. “What lobster dealers are saying is they can’t get enough to supply their overseas customers.”
While lobster catches may be a little slower than the pace of recent years, Maine fishermen are in the midst of an unprecedentedly productive multi-year run. Fishermen have brought more than 96 million pounds of lobsters to the Maine docks for 11 years in a row, after never nearing that number, according to launch records dating back to the 1880s.
And there’s always the chance that fishermen catch lots of lobsters in the fall, said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the lobster fishing group.
“Fall is certainly a significant time for lobster landing and so far our lobster growers seem pretty happy with this season,” said McCarron.
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