Terrorist attacks affect Maine fishing industry

Overland shipments of Maine lobsters resumed Wednesday across the Canadian border. Shipments that were on the road to airports Tuesday had been turned back in the wake of hijackings and terrorist attacks.

Patrice Farrey, associate director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said the loss of air transport did not cause great harm to the industry. Speaking Wednesday from York, Farrey said the industry asked fishermen to forgo that day’s fishing so as not to create a glut in the supply and to give lobster dealers time to move product that had been delayed the day before.

“The majority of the fishermen did the tie-up, from Lubec to Stonington,” Farrey said. “With the opening of the Canadian border, that was huge for us, because it gave us a market for lobsters that could have been shipped by air. There are a lot of processors in Canada who take a lot of product.”

The advent of processing and fast-freezing has brought a major change in the lobster industry, said Farrey. Lobster dealers no longer need to store lobsters in pounds, and the lobsters move from the boat to the dealer and to the customer much more rapidly. She said Tuesday’s interruption in air service forced many dealers to call back their shipments.

“Thanks to the opening up of the border, dealers have been able to step up their shipments by ground transportation,” said Farrey. She added that Tuesday’s tragedies likely would result in a slowdown of overall demand.

‘I kind of get the sense that there is not going to be a huge demand for luxury meals this week,” she said.

The Portland Fish Exchange plans to continue holding its daily display auctions, hoping enough buyers come to make bids on the seafood landed there daily, said General Manager Norman MacIntyre.