Common Name	American Lobster	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Homarus americanus	Sustainability Ratings/Certifications
Market Names	Maine Lobster	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	N/A	Health/Nutrition

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American Lobster Market Alert - updated April 2012

Unusually warm weather kept a lot more New England and Canadian fishermen on the water this winter, although ex-vessel prices of $5-$5.50/lb. didn’t excite fishermen that much. The real action starts May 1, when the Gulf of St. Lawrence waters around Prince Edward Island open. The bulk of this production, which is mostly small lobsters, gets processed into either frozen raw tails or whole cooked lobsters.

Last November, warm water temperatures meant more softshells than usual were landed during the southwest Nova Scotia season. As this lobster could not travel far live, a lot of it was processed and more frozen inventory than usual is in cold stores. That should put pressure on prices this May. Since last June the price of 5-6 oz. tails has dropped from almost $18/lb. to about $15.50/lb. causing considerable pain among processors who were holding inventory.

The Boston price of live 1 1/4 – pound lobsters (“quarters” in industry parlance) has risen from about $6/lb. in January to almost $8/lb. this March as supplies were light. Look for a sharp drop in those prices this May.

December 2011

The big Southwest Nova Scotia inshore lobster fishery got off to a rough start at the end of November, as fishermen reported landing an unusually high percentage of soft-shell lobster. Nova Scotia lobsterman Ashton Spinney told CBC News "It's just something we've never seen before." Warm water is considered the culprit, as lobsters moult more often.

The Southwest Nova Scotia fishery typically accounts for about half of Canada’s lobster catch, which was 63,000 metric tons last year. Although the season is open until late May, most of the catch is made in the first few months of the fishery.

Soft-shells are a problem because they are weaker and, as a result, they cannot survive being shipped long distances. This is important to Canadian lobster suppliers, as they ship large volumes of live lobsters to Europe in December to meet annual holiday demand. The warm water was also causing problems for dealers holding lobster, as they reported much higher than normal mortalities. 

The heavy volumes of soft-shells, which either have to be sold locally or shipped to canneries in New Brunswick and PEI, was the reason dock prices were down to $3.25/lb., lobstermen said. While the prices were significantly lower than last year, fishermen said fishing was very good. Fishing in Canada’s Bay of Fundy fishery, which opened November 1, was also very good, although fishermen said the $3.50/lb. dock price was the lowest they had seen, in a long, long time.

Maine lobstermen, meanwhile, said that fishing  this year has been as least as good, if not better, than last year’s record season, which produced landings of just over 42,000 metric tons. As is the case in Canada, heavy landings and economic woes in Europe and the U.S. kept prices at low levels. Wholesale prices have been averaging about  $4/lb. FOB Boston for 1 1/4 –pound lobsters late this fall, almost $1/lb. cheaper than last year.

One bright spot for the lobster industry is China’s sudden appetite for live American lobster, which is a much cheaper option compared to coldwater lobsters from Australia or New Zealand.  Through October of this year, U.S. exports of live American lobster to China have almost quadrupled to just under 1,000 metric tons.  Much to the annoyance of the lobster industry in Maine and Canada, in China American lobster is marketed as “Boston” lobster, since the first shipments came from lobster dealers in Boston.

Conservation Notes

Advantages: American lobster is found from Newfoundland all the way to the Carolinas, but it appears to be most abundant in the Gulf of Maine. Lobster pots and traps have a low incidence of shark, seabird, turtle, and finfish bycatch. There is some evidence that lobster pots can have positive effects on the environment by temporarily serving as a reef habitat and shelter from trawls and dredges. Part of the Canadian lobster fishery is certified to the Marine Stewardship Council standards of sustainability in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 41. The Maine lobster trap fishery is currently being assessed against the sustainability standards of the Marine Stewardship Council as of April 2011.

Challenges: The slow-growing, late-maturing characteristics of the American lobster make it moderately vulnerable to fishing pressure. Officially, American lobster is considered overfished, but there’s uncertainty about the population status and controversy over the stock model. Endangered North Atlantic humpback and right whales have been known to get entangled in lobster fishing gear and die, making lobster a “high” conservation concern. Traps also result in a high number of shellfish and crab bycatch.

Sustainability Ratings and Certifications

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
U.S. Wild-caught	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Light Green	B List
Canada Wild-caught	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Light Green	B List	Certified*

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch's rating for American lobster for the U.S. and Canadian fisheries is "Good Alternative" (yellow). Blue Ocean Institute's rating for American lobster is "Light Green." Ocean Wise recommends American lobster from Massachusetts, but does not recommend other fisheries.  *ONLY Canadian Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 41 is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. 

Buying Tips

• American lobster is caught year-round in the United States, peaking in summer and early fall; in Canada, seasons vary but generally landings peak in May and June and once again in December.
• The best time to buy is in May when the Canadian Gulf of St. Lawrence fishery opens and summer demand has not started. Post-Labor Day can be good because landings from Maine are strong and summer demand has dropped.
• Buying lobster from Maine in early summer can include soft-shell lobsters, a.k.a. "shedders," which can have poorer meat fill.
• Most lobsters are sold live by size grade (in lbs.): chickens (.75-1.0), heavy chickens (1.0-1.25), quarters (1.25-1.50), selects (1.50-1.75), deuces (1.75-2.0), heavy selects (2.0-2.25), small jumbos (2.25-2.50), and jumbos (2.50-4.0).

Nutrition and Health

 *The U.S. FDA has a mercury advisory level for children 0-6 limit 2 meals/month and children 6-12 limit 4 meals/month.

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service