Maine Lobster from Trap to Table

SENA14: Maine Lobster from Trap to Table

"It is in the unexpected or neglected place that you will find the lobster."
--Irish Saying

Homarus americanus. The American Lobster. The Pride of the waters of Maine.

   Pliny the Elder used to refer to lobsters as locustae, locusts of the sea.  The Old English word for lobster was loppestre, which might be related to loppe, which means "spider." By the 17th century, the term lobster also became an insult, like calling someone a "rascal" and it would later be used as a derogatory term for the British redcoats.

   Though there are a number of different species of lobster, if you ask someone from New England, they'll tell you that a Maine lobster stands at the pinnacle, and many people from around the country would agree. From a clam bake to lobster rolls, lobster often fits into some of the best memories of summer in New England.

The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative presented a special session at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) on Maine Lobster from Trap to Table. The two panelists included Carl Wilson, the lead Lobster Biologist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and Michele Ragussis, a Food Network Celebrity Chef.

     Carl Wilson spoke first, giving us some scientific info on the lobster, as well as some basics on sustainability. He began stating that the Maine lobster industry is a true success story in the Northeast.

   For about the last thirty years, lobster landings have been increasing, after about fifty years of stable numbers. The warming of the waters has contributed to a boom in the lobster population, and landings have essentially doubled in the last 5-7 years.
   At that time, Carl did not address the reasons for the change in water temperatures, which is likely due to climate change.
  
   Though lobster range a good distance up the Eastern coast, the greatest concentration of lobsters is in the Gulf of Maine and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
 Continue reading