Boat Lobster
Posted on | July 9, 2010 | Comments Off
Boat Lobster
If possible, how profitable is it to lobster fish singleman on a boat in Maine?
I think I saw something on TV about people with small boats going just off the coast and setting pots alone. Is this possible and how profitable can it be a day/season/year? Thanks!
I've lived in a fishing villiage in Maine my whole life. My grandfather was a lobster fisherman and my boyfriend is currently and I have my 5 Maine state resident traps that I haul myself in a 14 foot boat. The lobstering industry has been hard the last few years as the boat price for lobster has dropped to under 4 dollars a pound. If you have a large lobster boat and can fish the deeper waters and set 200 traps you can get anywhere from 100 to 200 pounds a day IF you set them in the right spots. My Grandfather fished alone for years on his small 45 foot boat and he only had 100 traps. My boyfriend is having a hard time breaking even, between the boat payment, the fuel, the bait, and the weather. He went out to haul three days ago and after paying the fuel, bait and his baitboy, he made 40.00. In this day and age it is not a big money making deal. Ten years ago, yes. So I can see where the job looks appealing, however, with the economy, it will not make you rich. Also "pot" is another name for a trap. A four foot trap costs around 50.00. In order to become a lobsterman you need to appretice to get a license, then buy a boat, traps, buoys, rope, bait, vents, hogrings, and all the stuff that goes with it. The rigging is expensive!! Plus in the winter when it's 20 below zero, it makes for a long, cold, wet day and that is if you can get out of the harbor with the wind that brings high seas! It does look like the perfect job though, however looks are deceiving.
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Dirty Jobs - Lobster Boat
Monhegan Island – Its Struggle To Survive
A few summers ago my wife and I decided to take a two day vacation to Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine. We had heard that this small rocky island was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places anywhere in New England. The ferry ride from Port Clyde to Monhegan took about one hour and gave time to read a little about this mystical place to which we were headed.
Monhegan is a small mile square island a little over ten miles from the Maine coast. It is accessible only by boat or ferry and there are no cars or paved roads on the island. Apparently the explorer John Smith visited in the early 1600’s and the island was known to Native Americans as a prime fishing area. In more recent times Monhegan Island has become a lobster fishing center, a haven for artists, and a summer retreat for people attracted to its scenery, its flora and fauna, its history and its many miles of spectacular cliff side hiking. It is also home to less than two dozen lobstermen and their families who make up most of the year round population.
Since lobster fishing is one of Maine’s largest industries I was not surprised to see hundreds of multicolored lobster buoys attached to lobster traps floating in the harbor as we left Port Clyde. However, as we approached the harbor at Monhegan Island I was struck by the fact that in this active lobster fishing community there were no colorful buoys floating about. It was also surprising to see high stacks of lobster traps, buoys and fishing lines all along the grass roadway up to our Bed and Breakfast.
After settling in I wandered down to the Mohegan Store to satisfy my curiosity about the lack of lobster activity and over the next hour or so discovered a wealth of information from locals about the challenge of lobster fishing in Maine and especially here at Mohegan Island. Apparently the lobster industry has been ailing up and down the Maine coast through overharvesting. Maine lobstermen have traditionally protected their share of the resource through lobstering territories These territories were unofficial with no laws involved. In any port the lobstermen would have an informal agreement where each member of the community may lay his traps. Youngsters who want to enter the fishery could start with a few traps or work as a “sternman” baiting traps and carting gear for an established fisherman. Eventually he or she would be allowed to take over a territory. Should a newcomer try to enter the game they might find their gear moved or even have their buoy line cut. Since our visit to Monhegan Island this summer, this intense competition became violent in Martinicus, Maine where a longtime lobsterman and his daughter drew guns on two fellow islanders. The lobsterman fired, shooting a man he had known for decades.
In 1998 in a bold move to ensure a continual livelihood for their families, the fishing community of Monhegan Island was able to get a law passed in the State of Maine for exclusive rights for the lobstering families of the island to a two mile radius of ocean around their rock bound island. In exchange lobstering was limited off Monhegan from December 1 to June 25. In 2007 the fishermen agreed to a 475 trap maximum (from a maximum of 600) in exchange for two additional months in their season. This year the Maine State Department of Marine Resources imposed a 300 trap limit on each fisherman saying that while this is the lowest trap limit in Maine, the lobstermen benefit from the no-competition that rings the island. But the fishermen here say that the low prices for their catch, the fewer traps and the high cost of fuel and electricity have brought their survival as a fishing community into question.
My wife and I left Monhegan Island with a deep appreciation for its beauty and peacefulness and an even deeper appreciation for the lobstermen and their families who keep the island together and who eek out a living in a harsh and competitive environment. Hopefully the demand for Maine lobster will continue to expand and with guaranteed overnight shipping more consumers throughout the country will have the opportunity to experience the wonderful taste of fresh Maine lobster.
About the Author
Neal Smith lives in Montague, Massachusetts and is the web manager for an on-line gourmet food marketplace for some of the finest foods found in New England including fresh lobster and seafood, bisque and chowders, Vermont cheddar and maple syrup, gourmet coffee, raw honey, fresh salsa and barbecue sauces, and homemade oatcakes.
http://www.gourmetnewengland.com
Tags: boat > boat lobster 2 > boats > east boat lobster > east boat lobster house > east boat lobster restaurant > lobster > maine
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