Lobstering and Economics

What is lobstering’s economic impact on the United States?

Each year, the United States issues over 25,000 lobster licenses.  American lobster is ranked as the third U.S. fresh/frozen fishery product on the seafood export list.  In 2003, these lobster exports were worth $315,889,000.  In 1999, the largest lobster landings on record was at 87,420,414 pounds, valued at $322,754,058.  By state, Maine is responsible for the largest amount of U.S. landings, contributing to 61%.  Following, Massachusetts is responsible for 18%, Rhode Island for 7%, Connecticut for 3%, New Hampshire for 1%, and all other states combined are responsible for 9%.  In total, the lobster industry has an impact of $.7-1.2 billion on the United Stated economy.  However, coupled with it’s $1.7-2.8 billion impact on Canada’s economy, it has a total impact of $2.4-4.0 billion.  

Source: http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/media/economic%20brochure.pdf

What type of economic impact does lobstering have industry-wide? 

Annually in the United States and Canada, they have landed about 183,000,000 lobsters.  62% of the landings were contributed by Canada, while 38% by the United States.  It is estimated that for every dollar a lobsterman is paid for a single lobster, about $3-$5 is generated for ancillary businesses.  Of all the catches, only 25% goes to live market, and the other 75% is processed.  Within the 75% of processed catches, Canada controls over 90% of the processed market.  

Source: http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/media/economic%20brochure.pdf

How does the lobstering industry economically contrast between Maine and Massachusetts? 

Maine’s lobster industry has an estimated $500,000,000 impact on the state economy.  In contrast, Massachusetts has an estimated $246,000,000 impact.  While Maine has a total of 144 lobstering ports in Maine, Massachusetts homes only 52.  This can be accounted for by the difference in the financial impact the industry has on each state.  

Source: http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/media/economic%20brochure.pdf

How much do lobstermen make each year? 

On average, lobstermen make a salary of about $48,000 per year.  However, these salaries can significantly vary as a result of company, industry, location, experience, and benefits.  When entering the industry, lobsterman must take into account the dangers and risk that this job entails, which has an additional impact on salary depending on whether or not the location is more dangerous than others.  

Source: http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/search/q-lobster+fishing

Lobster in economy

How much does live lobster cost?

Live lobster typically costs on average $12-$18. It costs more if it is more fresh. The less fresh it is the cheaper it is.

How does lobstering effect the economy?

The lobstering industry has a large impact on the economy. The largest supplier brings in about 2.4-4 billion dollars per year.

How much do lobsterman in Massachusetts make a year?

Lobsterman in Massachusetts makes about 49,254,000. That number is a gross income.

How many lobster traps are in Massachusetts?

In 2002 there were 506,000 traps fished by Massachusetts lobsterman.

Lobstering and the economy

How much do lobstermen make?

Lobstering in Maine lately has been booming. Last year Maine lobstermen caught 100 million pounds of lobster, worth over 330 million. That number is split up between the thousands of lobstermen in Maine. The lobstermen receives a little over 3$ a pound for a lobster, which isn't bad but a few years ago they were receiving 4 or 5$ a pound. Successful, experienced lobstermen can make 60,000$ to over 80,000$ a year.

How much does lobster cost?

Lobster, depending on the season and how many lobsters are being caught is sold from 7$-15$ a pound. This price seems high but people traveling to New England are more then willing to pay that price. If you go to a restaurant the price will be even higher. It would over 20$ for a lobster a little over 1 pound, and even more expensive at a high end restaurant. People are still willing to pay that price because you can't get lobster like that everywhere. 

How much does it cost to go lobstering?

Lobstermen have a lot of expenses they have to pay before being able to receive a profit for there lobster. The lobster pots they use to catch lobsters cost about 50$ and they use hundreds of pots. Plus lobstermen say it cost them about 400$ a day just to untie there boat.

Where are the lobsters sold?

In Maine there are thousands of lobstermen going fishing everyday. Most of them work for a specific market where they bring all of their catch back to and sell it. These lobstermen usually own the market or are high in the ranks of the market. Other lobstermen sell there catch to seas food restaurants or groceries stores through the country, but most New Engand and the east coast.

Lobster in the economy

How much does it cost a day for a lobsterman to go out?
On average it cost about $400 a day for a lobster boat to go out. This is with just fuel, bait, and a deck hand. This is roughly $2000 a week. Lobsterman say that the price of fuel, bait, and equipment are going up, but the only thing not going up is the price of lobster. Over the past ten years lobster has only gone up 20 cents.

What is the annual salary of a lobsterman?
Lobsterman catch about 1000 pounds a day. Before all the expenses that's worth anywhere from $130,000 - $200,000 a year in sales. $25,000 -$45,000 for an average annual salary.



Mass.

Estimated state economic impact = $246,000,000
Gross income for lobstermen is approximately
$49,254,000
Lobster fishery is Massachusetts’ most valuable state waters single species marine resource and fishery.
1531 licensed commercial harvesters and 8,000 recreational lobster permits for trapping and 4,000 recreational licenses for divers
52 lobstering ports in Massachusetts
506,000 traps fished by Massachusetts lobstermen in 2002

http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/media/economic%20brochure.pdf



UNITED STATES
1999—Largest U. S. lobster landings on record at 87,420,414 pounds, valued at $322,754,058
U.S. Exports = $315,889,000 in 2003
There are over 25,000 lobster licenses issued in the
U.S. each year
American lobster is ranked third on the seafood export list for U.S. fresh/frozen fishery products (behind #1 surimi and #2 salmon)


http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/media/economic%20brochure.pdf

Global warming

How does global warming affect the population of lobsters?

The temperature and chemical composition of the water has a large affect on lobsters. Although warmer water increases lobster population, it could disrupt the larval lobsters food source witch would lead to a decrease in population. When the water is warmer, it could also lead to lobsters getting diseases.

How does global warming affect lobsters diet?

Carbon dioxide negativity affects lobster because it negativity affects smaller organisms like mussels and shrimp that lobsters eat. Therefore, it not only weakens the things lobsters eat, but also weaken lobster. This makes lobster more vulnerable in the ocean, smaller, and not as tasty.

How has global warming affected lobster migration?

Due to warmer weather, it has forced lobsters to migrate to colder waters. Between Long Island and Buzzards Bay, the population of lobster has dropped, and has grown in the gulf of Maine.

Effect of Global Warming on Lobsters

                                                                       How does global warming affect lobsters?

Global warming affects lobsters in negative ways. Lobsters are healthy, if the temperature of the ocean water and chemical composition is right. Sea water contains calcium carbonate which is extracted into lobsters helping them build their shells. If calcium carbonate was reduced in the ocean, then it will ultimately hurt the lobsters and shorten their lives. Although warmer water has been known to increase lobster population, it also can damage the food source for larval lobsters, reducing the numbers of born lobsters. Additionally, warm water also increases the chance of disease is lobsters which could greatly affect us all. 

http://globalwarming-factorfiction.com/2007/12/28/global-warmings-impact-on-lobsters-has-scientists-in-a-stew/

How does global warming affect lobster’s interaction with one another?

When lobsters are caught by fishermen and put into tanks, their claws get banded up so they don’t eat one another in the depressing and tiny tanks. This behavior usually was usually only seen when lobsters were locked up together in a tank, but now because of global warming the cannibalism of lobsters is happening in the ocean. Because global warming is heating the water up, the lobster population is increasing, while its predators are being killed off by the water change. This results in a high number of lobsters crowding each other. The big lobsters eat the little ones as they are a nuisance and food has become more limited. 

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/warming-oceans-are-turning-lobsters-into-cannibals

Lobster Cannibalism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvF7IYa6obc&feature=player_embedded

What is lobster shell disease?

Lobster shell disease is caused by global warming as it heats up the ocean waters allowing for more bacteria to grow. Along the coast of Maine, and in the Long Island Sound, many lobsters are dying because of shell disease. The shell disease eats the lobster alive as it eats through its shell and prevents the lobster from molting, resulting in its death. Shell disease is not caused by one bacteria, it is caused by many that make the perfect combination in destroying lobster shells. Researchers first noticed lobster shell disease 20 years ago. The disease showed up as little black dots on the lobsters’ shells. Today, the disease has gotten so bad that lobsters’ entire shell is infected! Some shells are even rotted entirely. In the southern New England area and the Long Island sound, thirty percent off the total lobster population is infected.

http://cos.gmu.edu/research/news/lobster_disease

Global Warming

What is global warming’s impact on lobsters?

The concept of global warming is the idea that Earth’s atmosphere will grow warmer and the concentration of carbon dioxide will continue to increase.  With this, global sea temperatures will rise, which will cause the ocean water to become more acidic.  As expected, this is not good for the animals living in the sea.  For example, lobsters are dependent on drawing calcium carbonate from the water in order to build their shells.  However, if the waters become more acidic, the lobsters will have to work harder to build their shells, taking energy away from searching for food.  In addition, while scientists have known about the predicted increase in ocean acidity, they are still unsure how it will affect lobsters in the Gulf of Maine.  

Source: http://oceanacidification.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/global-warming’s-impact-on-lobsters-has-scientists-in-a-stew/

What is the impact of warm water on cold water lobsters?

There are two different types of lobster - Spiny lobsters, which are found in warm waters such as the Caribbean, and Clawed lobsters found in cold waters, such as Maine.  Clawed lobsters are cold-blooded, as a result of their body temperatures being determined by the water they live in.  Many parts of the lobsters’ life such as a food and reproduction is dependent on the temperature of the ocean floor.  If the cold-water lobsters are living in higher temperatures, they will need to use more energy for respiration.  This will leave them with less energy to grow and reproduce.  In addition, the habits of the lobsters will fluctuate with temperature.  They are likely to move toward higher latitudes or to areas cooled by tidal mixing.  Thus, they are still on the hunt for colder temperatures.  

Source: http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animals.php

What is the issue with “lobster shell disease”?

Scientists have been able to, through seen evidence, link rising ocean water temperatures to the spread of lobster shell disease in Massachusetts waters.  Lobster shell disease has become increasingly more common over the years.  This disease is caused by bacterial infection in the carapace.  In addition, a new type of shell disease was discovered in the late 1990’s in New England when temperatures were higher than before.  The more threatening temperatures are when the waters exceed 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Farehnheit.  This disease also impacts the lobsters growth, promoting sexual maturity earlier than it would have naturally been.  Overall, lobster shell disease is caused by the increasing water temperatures as a result of global warming, and is unsafe for the creatures affected.  

Source: http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animals.php