Pingree vows to work with industry on low wholesale lobster prices

Published Date Written by Staff Report

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said she is “deeply concerned with plummeting lobster prices that have caused some Maine fishermen to tie up their boats and stop fishing,” according to a press release from her office.
“Wholesale prices for lobsters have hit rock bottom, fuel prices are high and I’ve heard from lobstermen who said some buyers have just stopped buying outright. A threat to the health of the industry is a threat to the entire Maine economy,” Pingree said.
Pingree said she has pledged to work with state and federal officials and representatives of the lobster industry to find possible solutions to the situation.
“The Maine lobster fishery is not only an essential part of our economy, it’s part of the life and culture of coastal Maine communities and we need to do everything we can to protect it,” Pingree said.
WCSH-6 News (http://www.wcsh6.com) reported on the situation, noting, “Fishermen say they’ve been getting paid just $2.25 per pound for their lobster. THey blame the surprise glut of soft shell lobsters or shedders and the complex supply and demand connections between lobstermen, dealers and processors in Maine and Canada.”