Lobster catch value drops $42 million in 2006

Lobster fishermen and scientists had a feeling last year that overall landings in Maine would be down for 2006, but a yearlong price drop has resulted in a $42 million decrease in the yearly total value of lobster caught in the state.

Preliminary figures compiled by the Maine Department of Marine Resources show the overall statewide landings were down 1.5 million pounds, from 68.1 million in 2005 to 66.6 million in 2006.

A drop in the average per-pound price, however, resulted in a decrease from $315 million to $272.5 million in the value of the statewide catch. In Knox County alone, the value of the local catch dropped $25 million, from $100 million in 2005 to $75 million last year.

“I know that personally,” Bob Baines, a Spruce Head lobsterman, said Thursday about how his year went. “It’s a huge difference.”

Landings in Knox County declined more than 3 million pounds over the past year, from 21.8 million to 18.55 million, and fell to a lesser extent in Cumberland, Lincoln and York counties.

There was an increase in the amount of lobster caught in Hancock County, which came in slightly above Knox County for landings. Despite an increase in Hancock County from 17.8 million pounds to 18.57 million pounds, the value of the catch there also fell, from $83.6 million to $75.4 million.

Three other counties showed increases. In Sagadahoc landings increased from 1.53 million pounds to 1.56 million pounds. Waldo was up from 275,000 pounds to 320,000 pounds, and Washington County landings increased from 9.1 million pounds to 10.8 million pounds.

Baines, contacted by cell phone as he was about to speak about herring at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, said the big difference was price. His landings dropped “a little bit,” he said, but the per-pound price he got over the course of the year fell from just above $5 down to around $4.35.

But his expenses did not decline. Fuel prices stayed about steady from the prior year, he said, and the price he had to pay for the herring he uses as bait continued to grow. His annual bait bill was $15,000 only six years ago, he said, but by last year his bait costs had risen to $34,000.

Maine’s peak year for recorded landings was in 2004, when lobstermen brought 71 million pounds of lobster ashore. The peak year for value, however, was in 2005, thanks to a statewide average per-pound price of $4.62. The statewide average price last year fell back to $4.09, just 6 cents higher than it was in 2004.

Annual totals released in late winter are always preliminary and change as more reports from the previous year continue to trickle in, according to state officials.

State lobster scientists have said that despite such differences in yearly totals, fluctuations in the fishery are normal and there is no reason to think that Maine’s lobster fishery is in trouble.

Baines, too, said the 2006 totals do not make him concerned about the fishery’s future.

“I don’t think it’s an alarm bell because we still have a very healthy resource,” he said. “Economically it’s significant, but as far as the resource goes we’re in good shape.”