There are no accurate figures showing the catch of lobsters in Maine
previous to 1880. It is therefore difficult to make comparisons, and
one is compelled to depend largely upon the memory of the fishermen
and the statements of the canners and dealers, which the lapse of
time, etc., makes rather unreliable. The numerous petitions sent
to the legislature asking for restrictive laws, while possibly
exaggerated at times, indicate that there were fears of the exhaustion
of the fishery for some years back. It is positively known, however,
that certain grounds have been almost or totally exhausted through
overfishing for a number of years, while on other grounds the supply
of lobsters has seriously decreased. There was a time when no lobster
under 2 pounds in weight was saved by the fishermen. In later years,
before there was a restriction fixing the minimum size of lobsters
that could be canned, the canneries frequently used half-pound
lobsters. The fixing of the minimum length of the lobsters caught at
10-1/2 inches, and the consequent closing up of the canneries, has
been of incalculable benefit to the fishermen, as the young lobsters
now have an opportunity to reach maturity.
The table given below shows for certain years the number of pots used,
the quantity of lobsters taken, with their value, also the average
catch and value per man, the average catch per pot, and the average
price per pound:
Average Average Average Average
Catch catch stock catch price
Fisher- ---------------- per per per per
Year men Pots Pounds Value man man pot pound
---- --- ---- ------ ----- --- --- --- -----
pounds pounds cents
1880 1,843 104,456 14,234,182 $268,739 7,723 $146 136 1.9
1887 1,906 113,299 22,916,642 512,044 12,023 269 202 2.2
1888 1,967 112,632 21,694,731 515,880 11,029 267 193 2.4
1889 2,080 121,140 25,001,351 574,165 12,020 276 206 2.3
1892 2,628 153,043 17,642,677 663,043 6,713 252 117 3.8
1898 3,099 155,978 11,183,294 992,855 3,609 320 78 8.9
While the catch increased up to 1889 and then decreased until in
1898 it was lower than in 1880, the number of fisherman and pots and
the value of the catch steadily increased. The average stock per
man fluctuated somewhat from year to year, but in 1898 shows a
considerable increase over every other year. The most interesting
point however, is the average price per pound. In 1880 this was 1.9
cents, while in 1898 it was 8.9 cents per pound. With one exception,
each year shows a progressive increase in value per pound. The great
increase of 1898 over 1892, 5.1 cents per pound, was caused by the
closing up of the canneries in 1895, and the consequent dropping out
of the cheap product they had been buying from the fishermen.