|
Sunday, July 6, 2003
Tough work, sweet rewards
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||||||
 |
Also on this page: UNDER PRESSURE: Maine's Lobster Catch | |||||||||
How good has the lobstering been along the Maine coast? So good that even the lobstermen have to admit it isn't bad. Lobstering is far from a get-rich-quick fishery the way that urchins and elvers were in the 1990s. And catches vary widely depending on where a lobsterman's territory is, his experience and his boat and equipment. But, in general, Maine's lobstermen are making more money than they ever have. Each lobsterman's catch is a closely guarded secret for many reasons, including competition. A lobsterman talking too much about his big catch could find a neighbor's traps moved in a little closer. Many conversations with lobstermen, and a little math, can provide a general picture, however. Full-time lobstermen in the midcoast and especially around Penobscot Bay - Maine's so-called Gold Coast - have been catching about 60,000 pounds a year, although a few of the hardest working have exceeded 100,000 pounds. Many bring in catches of more than 1,000 pounds in a day in the peak, late-summer season. Lobsters are not as plentiful off the southern Maine coast, and each summer there are more lobstermen crowding into the bays and competing for the catch. Full-time lobstermen in southern Maine typically catch about 40,000 pounds a year. At last year's average price of $3.30 per pound, the typical catches represent annual sales of $130,000 to $200,000. Top midcoast boats bring in more than $300,000. Each of Maine's 6,900 lobster boats represents a small family-owned business, with increasing expenses for equipment, bait and supplies and one or two crew members. Based on rough estimates of those expenses, typical incomes for the captain's family range from $70,000 to $120,000, before boat payments and health insurance premiums that can exceed $10,000 a year. Sternmen, or helpers, earn $25,000 to $40,000 a year. Making that much money requires a lot of physical work - 10 to 12 hours a day in summer and, increasingly, hauling traps year-round. Working with lines, traps and winches on the water also includes real risks. Tragic accidents and near misses are reported each year. There also is no unemployment insurance or retirement plan, and no guarantee the catch will continue the following year. But the quaint notion of Maine lobstermen eking out a living on the water is as outdated as handmade wooden traps, said Terry Costa, manager of McLoon's Wharf in Spruce Head. "There's guys down here making $200,000 a year," he said. "This is big business." Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at:
|
||||||||||
