ROCKPORT, Maine (AP) — The Latest on Maine’s lobster haul (all times local):
12:20 p.m.
Maine officials say lobstermen brought more than 119 million pounds (54 million kilograms) of the state’s signature seafood ashore last year, an increase from the previous year.
The state is by far the biggest lobster producer in the United States, and the industry is in the midst of a multiyear boom. However, the catch and its value have fluctuated wildly in recent years.
Officials said Friday the value of the 2018 lobster catch was more than $484 million — and the total value for all Maine seafood was more than $637 million, the second-highest on record.
The 2017 lobster haul was a little less than 112 million pounds (51 million kilograms) and was valued at more than $438 million. That represented a drop from the previous year.
Preliminary data from 2018 show that trend reversed, for the year at least. The industry’s also contending with Chinese tariffs and warming waters.
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9:46 a.m.
Maine officials say lobstermen brought more than 119 million pounds (54 million kilograms) of the state’s signature seafood ashore last year, an increase from the previous year.
The state is by far the biggest lobster producer in the United States, and the industry is in the midst of a multiyear boom. However, the catch and its value have fluctuated wildly in recent years.
Officials said Friday the value of the 2018 lobster catch was more than $484 million — and the total value for all Maine seafood was more than $637 million, the second-highest on record.
The 2017 lobster haul was a little less than 111 million pounds (50 million kilograms) and was valued at nearly $434 million. That represented a drop from the previous year.
Preliminary data from 2018 show that trend reversed, for the year at least. The industry’s also contending with Chinese tariffs and warming waters.
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This story has been corrected to show that total seafood haul, including lobster, was more than $637 million.
