Co-ops raise price of lobster 25 cents > Fishermen end protest

COREA — In an effort to boost revenues for lobstermen, all of the fishermen’s co-operatives between Vinalhaven and Jonesport raised boat prices by 25 cents over the weekend.

Dana Tracy, president of the Corea co-op, said fishermen there ended a four-day protest Monday after learning they would receive $2-per-pound for new-shell lobsters.

Lobstermen in Corea, Dyer Bay, Gouldsboro Bay, Eastern Harbor and Jonesport tied up their boats and went home after hearing rumors last week that the $1.75-per-pound price might drop to $1.50.

On Monday, co-ops in Stonington, Winter Harbor, Swans Island, Cranberry Isles, Jonesport, Vinalhaven and Corea were paying lobstermen $2 per pound for new-shell lobsters. Prices for one-pound lobsters at local co-ops and roadside stands ranged from $2.99 to $3.25, while restaurants in the Hancock County area were charging between $7.95 and $14.95 for a lobster dinner.

In 1968, fishermen were receiving $1.85 per pound for their lobsters. Since then, fuel prices have more than tripled while bait costs have quadrupled.

Fishermen said Monday that fewer of them can afford to pay helpers or sternmen, decreasing the safety factor and increasing the time spent on the water.

According to boatbuilders in Hancock County, banks are reluctant to finance new fishing boats, forcing many lobstermen to make do with older vessels.

Tracy said Monday he was glad the other co-ops had agreed to pay the fishermen a higher price for their catch, and described the four-day protest in Corea as “an effort that was apparently noticed.”

“There are no winners or losers in any of this,” Tracy said. “We simply let all those concerned know that we need a little more money to operate. The press has been very helpful in letting it be known that our guys are up against it. But some adjustments had to be made to permit us to get a little more money for our lobster.”

Tracy said that although he believed that the co-ops would have no trouble finding buyers for their product, he predicted a period of stabilization would be necessary to permit the market to adjust to the new co-op prices.

“It’s going to take time for the profit margin to catch up to the boat price. That probably won’t happen until after the next two or three days,” he said. “As the boat price takes hold, the profit margin should come with it. But for a day or two, the profit margin with the co-ops, and the dealers may be a little less until the situation stabilizes.”