Nabisco’s Crown Pilot cracker is no more – once again – and Chebeague Islanders and other Mainers are upset.

Nabisco confirmed this afternoon that it recently stopped production of the large, flat, plain crackers that are beloved by Mainers and other New Englanders who like to crumble them in their chowder.

The news was particularly upsetting to residents of Chebeague Island, where a national campaign to save the traditional crackers – first commercially manufactured in 1792 – was launched after Nabisco discontinued making the niche product in 1996 in an effort to streamline operations.

Nabisco resumed production of the cracker in 1997 after receiving thousands of complaints. But Nabisco, bought by Kraft Foods in 2000, says sales of the product have fallen drastically since then. The company recently stopped making the crackers, so the only ones left are those in warehouses, according to Laurie Guzzinati, spokeswoman for Kraft.

“We’re no longer producing the product,” Guzzinati said this afternoon. “I realize this is disappointing to consumers and it was definitely a difficult business decision to make.”

However, she said, sales of the Crown Pilot cracker were always small and regional, and now are half of what they were in the mid-1990s. She declined to give specific numbers on sales.

Donna Damon, a Chebeague Island resident and selectman, is not appeased. Damon said today that Maine Pilot cracker lovers want to launch another effort to save the cherished biscuits. She urged supporters to call 1-800-Nabisco and voice their concerns.