PROVIDENCE, R.I. – John Sorlien grimaces every time he brings a fresh catch of lobster to his dealer in Point Judith.

He knows the dealer’s not to blame, but he can’t help but grumble as he accepts a measly $2.40 per pound – the lowest prices he’s seen since he started fishing about 18 years ago.

“My wife and I are having conversations about Christmas gifts this winter that we usually don’t have,” said Sorlien, the father of three girls. “This has never been a get-rich business, so we watch our bottom line – but we’re watching it a lot more closely now.”

Rhode Island’s seafood industry is in a downward spiral exacerbated by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In recent months, it has lost an estimated $100 million, according to Ralph Boragine, director of the Rhode Island Seafood Council.

Although some fishermen blame regulations limiting the size of catches for some of their woes, others say the attacks and their aftermath made the situation much worse.

In the days after the plane hijackings and assaults on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, several shipments spoiled as airports across the country were closed. The New York market was shut down to distributors for more than a month.

Since then, business has been hurt by the layoffs and general malaise that spread across the country after the attacks. In the weak economy, consumers have cut down on spending in restaurants. Cruise ships, normally a lucrative market for lobster distributors, have cut back on shipments.

“The drop in fish prices overall has been dramatic because people aren’t eating out in restaurants as much as they used to, especially in the larger markets like New York,” said Liz Rowell, executive vice president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association.

For the lobster industry, the drop-off has been especially painful. Lobstermen selling directly to a dealer would usually get $7 to $10 per pound, Boragine said. By mid-December, the price of lobster had dropped to about $2.40 per pound.

“Lobsters … are a celebration food,” said Sorlien, who is also president of the Rhode Island Lobsterman’s Association. “People eat lobsters when they’re feeling good about things.”

Other seafood has been affected, too.

The average price for yellowtail flounder in 2000 was $1 per pound, according to statistics from the National Marine Fisheries Service. In mid-December, fishermen were getting 28 cents per pound, Boragine said.

“The price of littlenecks has gone from about 20 cents to about 14 cents a piece,” Boragine said. “So between September and now, for those folks, that’s a 30 percent drop in income.”

The Sept. 11 attacks, though, are not the only reason for the industry’s problems. Another factor has been fishing regulations that were established years ago to prevent the overfishing of several species. These regulations also affect fishermen in other parts of New England.

“In years past, when prices have been low because of a slow economy, people have made it up with quantity,” Boragine said. “Now, because of the management regimes, they can’t make it up with quantity. So they’re impacted even more.”

Sorlien said the low prices he’s been getting for his lobsters have made him think about pulling his traps out of the water earlier than usual.

“I’m not sure what everybody else is doing right now, but if these prices continue, it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. However, he quickly noted added that the sluggish seafood industry means little when compared to the loss of life on Sept. 11.

“We’re doing really good compared to how a lot of people made out in this whole affair,” Sorlien said.