Herring trawler FV Providian out of Portland, Maine. Bait continues to be a topic of conversation in the lobster fishery. Quota, landings variability, alternative baits and the unpredictable arrival of menhaden and its effect on dealers are all in the mix. As a part of the lobster fishery infrastructure some bait dealers are feeling the destabilizing effects of these factors. Joel Woods photo
Maine Lobster Industry
$1 Billion, Knowns & Unknowns
by Laurie Schreiber
ROCKPORT—A new study commissioned by the Maine Lobster Dealers Association (MLDA) shows that, with direct and indirect multiplier effects, Maine’s lobster industry is worth $1 billion to the state of Maine.
The findings were presented at a Maine Fishermen’s Forum session called “Lobsters to Dollars: The Economic Impact of Maine’s Lobster Supply Chain,” held March 2.
The research was led by the department of economics at Colby College in Waterville in conjunction with the MLDA. According to MLDA Executive Director Annie Tselikis, it’s the first study of the economic impact of the contributions of lobster dealers and processors that participate in the supply chain. Those businesses provide capital that pays harvesters, and the dealer network also accounts for substantial investment in handling, transporting, processing, marketing, shipping and selling the product.
The study was funded by a grant from the Department of Marine Resources’s (DMR) Lobster Research, Education and Development fund. Colby College received $81,657 to quantify the direct and indirect economic impacts of the industry throughout the supply chain, and the induced effects on Maine’s economy of
Restoration and Management of the New England Alewife Fisheries With Special Reference To Maine” (Fishery Leaflet 42) by George Rounsfel and Louis Stringer
