Top Story: A sharply falling lobster settlement index could mean the end to Maine’s lobster boom
The State of Maine produces a lobster settlement index that measures juvenile lobsters per square meter at 11 sites around the coast. For the last several years, this index has been showing poor settlement in mid-coast Maine, possibly related to warmer water. As these lobsters take seven or eight years to grow, 2016 is the first year the impact of poor settlement may be felt. There has been a huge expansion of capacity in Maine as landings have soared to record levels, and little attention has been given to what might happen if stocks go down.
In other news, one Norwegian said they are living ‘A golden Age of Cod’. Landings are up, prices are up, and consumption is up, as Norwegians eat more seafood, especially cod. Ecosystem changes produce winners and losers, and yet we mostly hear about the losers. Clearly Norway is a big winner as conditions improve for Atlantic cod. We hope some of that magic will cross the Atlantic to Canada and New England.
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