Good times are happening right now in Maine if you’re a lobster lover. Today, Maine is faced with a groundbreaking overload of lobsters but it wasn’t always so and it may be different tomorrow. Lobster culture has become a way of life on the coast of Maine; in fact Maine now produces 80 percent of American- caught lobster, according to Bloomberg View, and more than seven times the average take in a pre-2000 year.
Let’s take a look at what could be causing this lobster boom:
Anthropogenic change
Although the factors are hard to determine, it’s clear that we’re eating more cod, which is one of lobster’s main predators. More lobsters have the time to grow and reach a catchable age because cod stocks are falling and people are overfishing. Lobsters wander among the seabed with freedom which makes them easier for humans to spot and catch.
The ocean is warming
The warming temperatures of the water have also improved lobster survival rates. Within Maine, the sweet spot for lobstering has moved from the state’s southern coast to the cooler northeast.
Waiting for the perfect size
Fishermen like not catching lobsters under or over a certain size and also not catching egg-bearing females. This adds to the equation and the lobster boom we are seeing.
It’s almost as if we have pulled apart the food web, heated up the water and re-rigged the lobster population’s structure. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this overload population of lobsters, but in the meantime we will continue delivering quality seafood right to your door. Now that you’re craving mouthwatering seafood, order some fresh Maine lobster from us and get cooking!
