The situation faced by our lobster fishermen (men and women) appears to continue to worsen. Here and below, you see some of our fleet laying idle yesterday.
Lobstermen have been deciding that fishing six days a week for fewer and fewer low-priced lobsters isn’t worth the high-priced costs of fuel, bait, and maintenance. Some lobster fishermen even have hauled out their traps and ended their season four months early.
One veteran fishman, who prefers to remain anonymous, describes the dilemma concisely: “[The] catch is dropping off weekly and the [low] price remains the same. It's the worst season I've ever had. I've been doing it for 31 years and [this] is the first time that I don't have my bills paid going into the winter.” (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 6, 2022.)