PROMOTING MAINE LOBSTER

Maine lobsters have cachet. That’s why posh restaurants from Paris to Hong Kong to New York put Maine lobster, not Massachusetts or New Brunswick lobster, on their menus. It’s also why dealers from other states and Canada are selling their crustaceans as “Maine” lobsters.

The Maine Lobster Promotion Council is fighting back with tags that certify a lobster is really from Maine. This is a good start, but why not use the tags to promote Maine in general and its lobstering communities more specifically?

The tags, unveiled this week, show a cooked lobster and a lighthouse with the words “certified Maine lobster.” The Web address of the promotion council is on the reverse. The council hopes all lobster caught in Maine for export will eventually carry a tag. Although Maine lobster landings continue to set records, Canadians are aggressively marketing their lobsters and some fear that Maine’s industry could suffer if it doesn’t protect its brand.

Seventy percent of lobsters consumed in the United States are eaten at restaurants, so the promotion includes a strong message to restaurant owners and chefs to ensure the lobsters they buy are really from Maine. The tag is meant to stay on lobsters that are served whole so that diners, too, would know they are getting a genuine Maine lobster.

This brings up a second marketing opportunity. What if the tag said “Wouldn’t this lobster taste better in Maine?” with a link to the state’s tourism Web site. The same thing that makes people like Maine lobster – the idea of wholesome folks working in a picturesque ocean scene – could also draw people to the state for a vacation.

In an era when “sustainability” and “environmentally-friendly” are selling points, the tags should also be used to let consumers know about Maine’s conservation efforts. One way to do this is to link with the LobsterTales project, which is run by the Island Institute.

The lobstermen who participate in the project put bands on their catch with an identifying number, the words “Who Caught Me?” and a Web address.

On the Web site those who have the lobster can find out where it came from and who caught it. They are reminded that Vinalhaven, the first community to participate in the program, is a real place where real people try to make a living and go to school. On the Web site, lobstermen also explain the conservation measures they use – throwing back undersized and egg-bearing lobsters – to sustain the lobster population.

The tags are a good start at protecting a Maine icon. They could do more, however, to help the state by building on other efforts.