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The Price Ain’t Right
They joined fishermen along the entire coast, who organized the tie-up – on a perfect day of August sun and warmth – by boat radio and cell phone. The coastwide tie-up followed the first tie-ups earlier in the week, in harbors from Corea to Cutler, by fishermen who were protesting the price they were being paid for their hauls. Lobstermen said they were being paid $3.50 per pound when the current price at local supermarkets is anywhere from $10.99 to $11.99 per pound. Bass Harbor fishermen were receiving a better boat price than those Down East. But Jason Gordius and others said the Bass Harbor fishermen tied up in order to demonstrate their support of the Corea group. “These fishermen are so independent that they can’t agree on what time it is,” said David Schlaefer. “So to see them united like this is a wonderful thing.” “I feel it’s a lot more than the price,” said Gordius. “Price is the tip of the iceberg. We stayed in to back these guys and show support, in that we need, along the coast, to band together on issues like the new rope. We need to say no.” Today’s prices, said Maine Lobstermen’s Association executive director Patrice McCarron, are probably a typical reflection of the supply and demand process. Still, McCarron said, fishermen are finding it difficult to sustain boat prices of $3.50 or $4 per pound when the price of bait and fuel are rocketing up. “It’s a really telling situation, and I think we’ll have to take a step back,” McCarron said. “The prices are going up, but the escalation of expenses has caught up.” It’s unclear what can be done about the problem, she said; at the moment, it seems to be specific to certain ports. McCarron said she’s received communications from some fishermen who say the prices are fine; others are having trouble paying their bills. “As a petroleum-based industry, the squeeze will only get tighter,” she said. “It’s a tough situation. It’s a combination of sluggish prices and not landing a lot.” Fishermen in Corea started talking about the possibility of a tie-up on Saturday, Aug. 18. By Monday, Aug. 20, boats from Corea to Cutler were tied up. Colby Young of Corea said the catch has been low and fuel and bait costs high. Fishermen end up absorbing the high expenses, said Young, while everyone else who handles the lobster –dealers, markets and restaurants – continue to enjoy their profits. “The harvester is the only one hit with a low price,” said Young. The situation has been the same, off and on, for years, Young said. “ We are independent only in whether we go out fishing or not,” Young said. “Everything else is dictated to us.” Young said that pound and lobster dealer associations are in a position to influence the price that is paid to fishermen. He said the price issue is exacerbated by the prospect of being forced to change over their groundlines. “We tied up in support of the guys Down East,” said Boothbay Harbor fisherman Clive Farrin. “They were getting $3.50 a pound while we were getting $4 here. I heard they were getting 25 cents less after the tie-up.” Farrin said that two years ago, at the same time of year, with more production, fishermen were getting more per pound than they’re getting now. “Somebody is manipulating prices,” Farrin said. “The prices aren’t getting rolled to us,” said Gordius. “There are a lot of lobsters getting sold for a lot of money. Are we seeing that? No. The middlemen are getting rich and the rest of us are paying the payments – hopefully. By the time it gets to the consumer, there’s profit everywhere, except for us.” |
