A decrease in lobster catches due to the freezing cold this season may have the price of lobster rolls rising.
PORTLAND, Maine – Maine’s lobster industry is facing increasing pressure after a severe winter fishing shutdown, reduced bycatch and added to rising costs across the industry.
The state, the largest producer of lobsters in the US, recorded its fourth consecutive decline in total catch, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
The main driver was a few days on the water. Maine lobstermen will take 21,000 more fishing trips in 2025 than in 2024, the agency said. Total arrivals fell to just over 78 million pounds, the lowest level since 2008.
“It started in December, and in December you usually fish for many days, and we couldn’t fish,” said writer Greg Turner.
Turner, who has worked on the boat since childhood, said the crew was able to fish about half as many days as normal during the hottest winter months.
“When the zero comes out, and it hits negative 25, you can’t just leave because – if something happens – you’re done. You’re going to die there, probably,” Turner said.
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Turner’s boat, Deborah and Megan II. (Kailey Schuyler/Fox News)
Colder temperatures also affected lobster behavior, further limiting catches.
“It makes the lobsters slow down and stop crawling quickly because when it’s cold they don’t want to eat,” said Turner.
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Winter conditions have compounded financial pressures on the industry, including inflation, prices and market volatility.
Another way to get a deal on lobster is to buy directly from the fishermen. (Kailey Schuyler/Fox News)
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson wrote that inflation and market uncertainty in 2025 challenged the fishermen’s goal. He added that the late molt limits access to fresh shell lobsters in the summer, causing some harvesters to cut back on trips.
Despite the challenges, Maine’s commercial harvesters are projected to generate more than $600 million in revenue by 2025, marking a 14-year revenue increase of more than $500 million. However, fishermen say the higher income has not translated into strong profits at the airport.
“Trust me, we don’t get it, we don’t get it. But I mean, everything has gone up for us – the price of buying it, delivering it, cooking it, fixing it, it should also go up. It’s just the world we live in now,” said Turner.
The average boat price remained steady at $5.85 a pound, but industry advocates say the port prices are necessary to keep fishermen afloat.
“We want to see a higher price on the stock. That will go directly to your fishermen and, hopefully, keep them fishing because they are a really important part of our community,” said Alexa Dayton, executive director at the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.
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In 2025, the boat price remained stable at $5.85. (Fox News / Fox News)
Dayton is currently surveying the costs of several hundred lobstermen and said the early responses highlight how much the fishing season has slowed this winter.
“They want to go out, you know, 15 days a month. This year it’s down to about five days,” Dayton said.
He also pointed to uneven sea conditions across the region. Water in Down East Maine, from Stonington to Machias, was colder than average, especially on the ocean floor, while parts of the western Gulf of Maine saw warm conditions.
“There’s something very cold about them,” Dayton said, referring to the temperature of the lobsters.
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Rising installation costs add more complexity. Dayton said bait prices have risen significantly since his last survey in 2010.
“I mean it’s like a 350% increase. It used to be something you didn’t really worry about. Now it’s the real driver at the end of the day, what’s left in your pocket,” he said.
Financial stress extends beyond ports to coastal economies. Dayton said many communities rely heavily on fishing income.
“But the pressure to make a living, and, you’re like watching days go by without income that hurts the fishing industry and what’s happening on Main Street,” Dayton said. “I mean, this means, you know, 80% depends on fishing for most of these coastal communities, at least that’s what our research shows, and it just shows what’s happening in the store.”
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He added that most Maine lobstermen operate as small, independent businesses rather than corporations, making them vulnerable to cost fluctuations and lost fishing days.
“Fishermen run their own businesses here in Maine. These are not corporate owners. I think that makes us unique and special.”
