Maine's 2021 lobster catch shattered records for value as prices, landings increased

File photo / Laurie Schreiber The 2021 lobster catch shattered records with a value of $725 million.

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By Jessica Hall

Holy mackerel. Maine's lobster catch in 2021 was the most valuable in the history of the iconic fishery.

Last year’s lobster season has made the record books as the landed value surged 76% to $724.9 million and landings jumped more than 10%. The price per pound rose, pushing the landings to the record value.

According to just-released data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the 2021 catch amounted by far to the single largest increase in value, year over year. The previous record for the value of a year's catch was $541 million in 2016.

The increase in value from 2020 to 2021, $312.5 million, was more than the entire landed value in 2009.

"The extraordinary value earned last year by Maine lobster harvesters is a clear reflection of strong consumer confidence in the Maine lobster brand and the products and people it represents," said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher.

Not only was the 2021 value a record setter, but the volume of landings continued a 12-year run in which harvesters brought to shore close to or more than 100 million pounds. At more than 108 million pounds, landings increased by more than 10 million pounds over 2020. The pandemic dampened demand for lobster amid restaurant closures, but consumer demand remained somewhat strong at home.

The hefty catch in 2021 comes as the lobster industry faces threats from climate change, restrictions on gear to protect North Atlantic right whales, and the potential development of wind turbines off the coast of Maine.

"Last year was one for the books and it should be celebrated," Keliher said. "But there are many challenges ahead, and it’s important that fishermen remain engaged in management discussions that will strive to make this stock resilient for future generations."

"Despite those challenges, the Maine lobster industry continues to show tremendous commitment to the delivery of a world class product," Keliher said.

Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said, “The 2021 lobster landings show the continued success of the Maine lobster fishery and how lobstermen’s dedication to building one of the world’s most sustainable fisheries is paying off. They also show how vital the lobster industry is to our state’s economy.

"While last year’s harvest broke records, the challenges facing the fishery are unprecedented. Lobstermen continue to face escalating operational costs due to inflation and supply chain issues even as they cope with the federal government’s burdensome ten-year whale plan that threatens to wipe out the entire industry. Maine’s lobster industry is strong but we need to double down on our efforts to ensure it remains that way.”

The MLA is fighting a plan, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service on Aug. 31, that aims to protect the endangered right whale by creating new requirements such as mandates for additional gear marking and gear modification, as well as a seasonal ban on lobster fishing with buoy lines across a large swath of the Gulf of Maine.

The MLA filed a lawsuit in September against the National Marine Fisheries Service, challenging the ten-year whale plan. In November, the trade group announced a three-year, $10 million fundraising campaign to, in part, help cover the legal costs associated with the lawsuit.

In the case, Maine Lobstermen’s Association v National Marine Fisheries Service, the MLA asserted that the NMFS’s plan was unlawful and would have disastrous effect on the fishery. The MLA also asserted that NMFS acted arbitrarily by failing to rely on the best available scientific information and by failing to account for the positive impact of conservation measures already adopted by the Maine lobster fishery.

The state was granted intervenor status in the lawsuit.

"The Maine lobster industry remains a cornerstone of our state’s coastal economy and identity because of the uncompromising commitment to quality that follows every lobster, from trap to table," said Gov. Janet Mills. "I will continue to work tirelessly to support this vital Maine heritage industry."

A U.S. appeals court reinstated the ban on lobster harvesting in hundreds of miles of fishing waters off the Maine coast to try to protect rare whales. The whales number less than 340 and are vulnerable to lethal entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with large ships. The Maine Lobstering Union, headquartered in Trenton, has filed a brief with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to end the closure.

Maine’s lobster industry directly supports more than 10,000 jobs and collectively contributes $2 billion annually to the state’s economy.