Tale of the Lobster
Overseas demand for California spiny
lobster drives prices to record highs, leaving most locals unable to
afford—or even find—the delectable crustacean.
By Karen Pelland
To
understand why it’s getting harder to afford local California lobster,
look no farther than the exploding middle class in China. Its demand for
the red creature over the past decade has driven the market value of
spiny lobster through the roof, leaving locals hard pressed to even find
it in restaurants or farmers’ markets. And those who do are paying an arm and a leg for it. At the close of California’s 2013-2014 lobster fishing season this past week, the boat price for lobster (the price paid directly to fisherman) was at its highest to date: $24 per pound.
As a result, it’s estimated the state’s 200 commercially licensed lobstermen are unloading 99 percent of their catch to buyers who then truck it to Los Angeles, where it is then packaged up and shipped to China.
The goods. (Karen Pelland)
season due to the price,” says Shrout. “We’ve been in a cold-water cycle over the past few years, so our catch is definitely low, and the way I see it, it’s money in the bank.
All the lobsters I didn’t catch are going to be there next year, and they’re just going to be bigger.”Continue
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