ABOUT LOBSTERS 119 



expensive proposition, and the airlines clamped em- 

 bargoes on all lobster shipments. [American Airlines 

 reported $20,000 damage.] Capital Airlines will still 

 not carry lobsters. 



We finally came up with a package that was ac- 

 ceptable with the airlines, but was far from ideal from 

 the shipper's standpoint. The airlines would not accept 

 responsibility if they were less than seventy-two hours 

 late in delivery, and this carton could not keep lobsters 

 alive for that length of time. 



As far as we know, the only requirements of the 

 airlines is a nonleaking package. Some dealers are cut- 

 ting corners in trying to reduce the cost of the package 

 and we are afraid we will be faced with another em- 

 bargo very soon when one of these cartons falls apart 

 and leaks all over the plane. 



We ship all over the country and the furthest points 

 would be Vancouver, B. C; Portland, Oregon; Los An- 

 geles and San Francisco, California; Houston, Dallas, 

 Corpus Christi and Galveston, Texas. Our percentage 

 of loss since we reopened has been less than 1 per cent, 

 but this is due to the care we take rather than the per- 

 fection of the carton. 



We use ice with a chemical additive which is seal- 

 ed in a polyethylene bag and leakproof. 



As stated previously, the airlines will not accept 

 responsibility under seventy-two hours, which is why 

 we must have a better package. On rare occasions, 

 weather conditions may force the plane to take on addi- 

 tional fuel somewhere along the way and the lobsters 

 may be unloaded to make room for this additional 

 weight. We have been fortunate in this respect, but 

 with this possibility facing us we must find some way 

 to protect each and every shipment. 



The present container is almost airtight and the 

 lobsters do suffer from lack of oxygen, which is a prob- 

 lem we are hoping to overcome with our new package. 

 Lobsters are mostly carried in the baggage compart- 



