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Lobstermen Struggle to Break Even
by Laurie Schreiber
“The economic situation is a huge concern to us,” said Maine Lobstermen’s Association executive director Patrice McCarron. “The MLA has been proactive in seeking long-term solutions through the Governor's Task Force on the Sustainability of Maine Lobster, and we believe that today's economic crisis underscores the urgent need to move forward with that process,” said a recently issued MLA statement. “I don’t think there’s anything that can be done for the short-term,” McCarron said. “So much of the price is tied to the economy. But if we had invested in marketing and branding before now, I think the industry would be doing better right now. If we can implement the task force recommendations across the board, harvester to dealer to processor, I think we’ll see the situation improve. It won’t be a magic wand.” Last year, most dealers around Mount Desert Island were paying between $2.25 and $2.90 per pound. One dealer was paying $3 per pound. Along the coast, prices generally ranged from $1.90 to $2.75. Two years ago, the average boat price was $4.75. Recently, prices went down to about $2.50 per pound, from the $3 range earlier in the summer. “Times are incredibly tough,” said MLA vice president and fisherman Jack Merrill. “We can’t make it on the price we’re getting paid. We’re just not getting enough to meet the bottom line.” Fishermen are trying to keep up with the rising cost of bait, fuel, traps, boat maintenance, and problems with sinking rope. An average lobster fishing business needs to make $3.25 to $3.50 per pound to operate over the long run. “So we’re hopeful that that’s where we going to go to,” he said. At today’s price, after expenses, full-time fishermen are netting about $1 per pound. “And that might be optimistic,” Merrill said. “Nothing else has gone down.” “The 2009 fishing season is shaping up to be an extremely lean year for lobstermen, and its impacts will be hard on our fishing families and communities,” the MLA statement said. Many fishermen this year are coping with the added expense of replacing the “whale-safe” sinking groundline that is wearing out far more quickly than the floating line. “The rope has been a disaster,” Merrill said. “Guys are losing gear every day.” He said the sinking line chafes badly on hard bottom and breaks in a matter of months, leaving the traps on the bottom. By comparison, Merrill said, he’s had floating groundline that’s lasted for years. “Now we’re talking about replacing sink rope a couple of times a year,” he said. Some fishermen are changing the way they fish or where they fish. “The impact is significant,” said McCarron. “It’s very expensive.” Some fishermen had their rope part in the first week of use. “In a lot of ways, this is a learning experience on an individual basis,” she said. “People need to figure out how to make it work.” “Guys are losing a lot of gear, and it’s not gear we’re going to get back,” said Merrill. Those fishermen who only ever fish within the exemption line, and still fish with floating groundline, don’t have a problem. But year-round fishermen need to move beyond the exemption area. Fishermen who have tried to adjust their locations to be within the exemption area have run into crowding and territory issues, McCarron said. |
