Washington County lobstermen want to persuade lobstermen along Maine’s coast to tie up their boats temporarily to decrease lobster catch and push up prices.
A group of lobstermen gathered in a Jonesport marina yesterday to organize the tie-up, which would start next Monday. They told Portland news station WCSH 6 that the current $2.35 per pound is not covering their fishing expenses. The lobstermen will try to convince the chairs of Maine’s lobstering zones to join the effort until prices climb to between $3.25 and $3.50 a pound.
Meanwhile, offshore lobstermen in New England will receive $3 million from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration to comply with new federal equipment regulations, according to a press release from U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.