According to report Maine produce 56 million pounds of lobster with a total value of $248.5 million in 2007. Maine Department of Marine Resources told that the in 2006 it was 72 million pounds. The department said that the downfall of 16.6 million pounds represents nearly a 23 percent decline in landings, which means $48.5 million loss in value represents a 16 percent decrease in industry revenue.
The report says the sharpest decline was in Hancock County, where an estimated 14.3 million pounds of lobster worth $65.26 million was caught last year. However, Knox County remained the most productive county, but it also had sharp declines. Its volume of landings dropped 21 percent, from 22 million pounds to 17.3 million pounds.
State and industry officials confirmed that the total catch has steadily increased since 1990, but there have been fluctuations from year to year, which is normal. They said that it does not necessarily mean the fishery is in trouble. George Lapointe, commissioner of DMR, expressed that the decline was expected and nothing serious about it. According to him 2006 catch of 72.6 million pounds was the highest in Maine’s history.
