Helping the Lobster Industry

I've blogged it before, and most likely will blog it again....Maine's Lobstermen are in such dire straits that many fear the industry won't survive this recession.  But Mainers and Maine businesses have pulled together and are doing everything possible to help out.  Most in the state (including this blogger) see the lobster industry as an integral part of the state's heritage and neighbors helping neighbors (even including those neighbors you don't like too much...) in Maine is a longstanding tradition and a part of what makes the state such a good place to live.

Governor Baldacci  announced on Friday that the value of October's lobster catch was less than $20 million. In October of 2005,  the industry had a record setting haul of more than $60 million and in most years, the October sales are more than $50 million.  The average boat price per pound is $2.50 and lobsters are still selling at $3.99 retail in many locations.  Our local grocery store, Hannaford's, is selling cooked lobsters at $4.99 a lb.  More efforts include:

• Downeast Toyota in Bangor has promoted Maine lobster in its automotive advertising, while a full-scale community lobster bake was spearheaded by Heidi Stevens, co-owner of By George Jewelers in Rockland.
• Lobster appreciation events in the coastal Maine communities of Georgetown, Rockland, Stonington and Boothbay Harbor have resulted in the sale of over 10,000 lobsters, with additional lobster bakes and promotional plans in the works in other communities (which I blogged about a few weeks ago).
• Maine state representative Leila Percy of Phippsburg wrote and recorded a lobster jingle featured in the PSA campaign.
• Major markets are stepping up to the plate. Hannaford, Shaw's and Wegmans supermarkets are featuring Maine lobster promotions in their stores in New England and New York.
• Restaurants, including the Weathervane seafood chain and DiMillo's Floating Restaurant in Portland, also have launched lobster promotion efforts and advertising campaigns.
• Lobster retailers are donating back proceeds from their sales to the Maine Institute  and Grudens, who make the foul weather gear and overalls worn by almost every lobstermen, is donating a portion of the proceeds from their "eat lobster" t-shirts back to the institute as well. 

Recently,  we've been invited to and have eaten more lobster dinners than I care to count.  Everyone is buying lobsters having friends over and doing what they can to help out.  Others are shipping lobsters to friends and family far and wide

If you don't live in Maine and would like to help, you can order the Bailout Blowout, frozen lobster tails (or live lobsters)  from Lobster Gram.  Lobster Gram has great prices and is donating back to the Institute. You can also purchase the Eat Lobster shirts from Hamilton Marine.  

Comments

[jo]

The sad thing...I love LOVE lobster bisque, particularly jasper White's Bisque recipe that calls for like 8 lobster bodies but lately lobster just makes my stomach not happy. It is a very very difficult issue to reconcile with my taste buds.
I shall endeavor to spread the lobstah word!