With Lobster Prices Low, Things Get Ugly in Maine

AUGUST 15, 2009

With Lobster Prices Low, Things Get Ugly in Maine

By SIMMI AUJLA
WSJ

Maine lobstermen are cutting competitors' trap lines, sinking boats and, in one case, shooting each other. Law-enforcement officials and people in Maine's tight-knit coastal communities say economic pressure on the state's 5,000 active lobstermen may be fueling the tension. With prices for the state's crustaceans at the lowest level since the early 1990s, lobstermen are having trouble covering bait, fuel and equipment costs, they say. Lobsterman Keith Simmonds, of Owls Head, Maine, suspects rivals sank his boat, First Light, on Aug. 5. In the hours after midnight, vandals slashed the boat's pipes and flooded it with salt water, damaging its motor, starter, pump, batteries and wiring. By the time a fellow lobsterman called Mr. Simmonds to the dock, the boat was under seven feet of water, its roof barely peeking out. Two boats moored near Mr. Simmonds's boat were also vandalized at the same time, though they didn't suffer as much damage. Authorities say they are still investigating the incident.

In late July, one lobsterman shot another in the neck in an argument over where the underwater traps could be placed around Matinicus Island, 20 miles off the coast. Authorities say the victim, Chris Young, had argued with the shooter, Vance Bunker, over Mr. Bunker's son-in-law fishing in the island's waters. Since the son-in-law was not from Matinicus, Mr. Young didn't think he had the right to set his traps there. After the shooting, Mr. Bunker was arrested on charges of aggravated assault. Authorities say that Mr. Bunker claims he acted in self-defense, and that Mr. Young is recovering at home and may have nerve damage.

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Authorities have stepped up patrols in Maine's midcoast area, where the incidents happened. On Tuesday afternoon, marine patrolmen hidden on two small islands spotted a lobsterman cutting 22 lines that connect the traps to buoys on the surface. They charged the man with two counts of trap molesting, which could cost him his fishing license for three years. Lobstermen receive licenses from a state agency to fish in certain regions along the coast, where they usually stick to areas their parents or grandparents fished. When lobstermen feel like an outsider is setting traps in their territory, they sometimes resort to such measures as opening traps to let out lobsters, filling traps with rope, or, as a last resort, cutting the lines.

Lobstermen are getting paid around $2.50 a pound for soft-shell lobster this summer. Just two years ago, the average price was $4.43, according the state's Department of Marine Resources. Lobster prices often fluctuate, getting higher in the winter when weather conditions make it harder to fish, and lower in the summer. But last fall, prices dropped sharply, and have only slightly recovered. "They've always said that lobster follows the stock market," because people treat themselves to lobster meals when they're feeling prosperous, said Neal Workman, president of the Fisheries Exchange, a company that advises seafood dealers.

Since prices fell last fall, some lobstermen have tried selling their lobsters on roadsides, looking to cut out the middleman. Customers can also buy lobsters for low prices in some grocery stores in the area, where soft-shell lobsters go for $5.99 a pound. McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Inc., a chain based in Oregon, says it's offering three lobster dishes for $22.95, and they're helping drive traffic. Dishes with the same amount of lobster would usually go for at least $26, said Bill King, vice president of culinary development. Maine lobster industry groups are trying to get the word out that lobster is a good deal for consumers. They hope that will use up the excess frozen lobsters at some dealers, which makes them reluctant to buy more fresh ones.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125029228857633393.html (subscription)

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A3

Now that I live in GA, its all about shrimp and oysters. But I'll help the effort by looking for some main lobster locally.

i eat there sometimes here!!