Maine's Lobster Fishermen Have Seen Better Days

Maine's lobster catch declined for the fourth straight year, state fishing regulators said on Friday, as the industry continues to grapple with soaring business costs, inflation, and a changing ocean. The haul of lobsters, Maine's best known export and a key piece of the state's identity and culture, has declined every year since 2021, and some scientists have cited as a reason warming oceans that spur migration to Canadian waters, reports the AP. The sector brought in 78.8 million pounds of lobsters in 2025, down from more than 110 million pounds four years earlier, regulators said. It was the lowest total since 2008.

Inflation hit the industry hard last year, and there were more than 21,000 fewer fishing trips than in 2024, per Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Market uncertainty due to tariffs and a late start to the busy portion of the fishing season also played roles, he said. "This combination of factors likely contributed to the decline from 2024 to 2025 in the lobster harvest of more than 8 million pounds and a decrease in the overall value of more than $75 million," Wilson said in a statement.

The vast majority of the country's lobsters are caught in waters off Maine, though they're also trapped elsewhere in New England. The overall catch, among the most lucrative in the US, is frequently worth more than $500 million at the docks each year. Last year it was more than $461 million. The southern New England lobster fishery has been declared depleted by regulators for years. That decline happened as waters warmed off Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, and scientists have warned the trend could be repeating off Maine. The crustaceans are sensitive to changes in temperature, particularly when young but also throughout their lives.

Last year's catch was still relatively high compared with historic numbers, up from typically 50 million to 70 million pounds in the 2000s and even less in the decade before that. Lobsters remain readily available in restaurants and seafood markets, though prices have been high. They typically sold for $3 to $5 per pound at the dock in the 2010s and have been more than $6 per pound in some recent years. Last year the price at the dock was $5.85 per pound.