CHAPTER 30 

 The Lobster Fishery 



Introduction 



It has been stated that in the early colonial days lobsters could be purchased 

 for "one penny each," indicating that the size or weight of the animal was not a 

 consideration in the transaction. The present price for this sea delicacy is approxi- 

 mately 25 cents per pound to the fisherman, and much more than this when pur- 

 chased on the retail market. 



The lobster {Homarus americamis) is peculiar to the rugged coasts of New 

 England and Canada. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to transplant 

 it to the waters of the North Pacific. The Crustacea are found in a relatively narrow 

 range, extending from the tide lines to a distance of 30 to 50 miles out and from 

 Labrador to the coast of North Carolina. Occasionally, one is found on Georges 

 Bank, a distance of more than 200 miles off the coast. It is probable that the 

 population of lobsters is densest from Cape Cod north, but some of the largest 

 specimens have been captured off the coast of North Carolina during winter 

 trawling operations for other species. This has led to the development of a lobster 

 fishery in the winter months off the Middle Atlantic states. 



Early History of the Industry 



As the early Puritan settlers on the New England Coast were familiar with the 

 European lobster, they soon recognized the value of American lobster fisheries. 

 In colonial times practically all of the lobster catch was consumed locally as there 

 were no large inland cities and as, moreover, the fishermen had no means of 

 rapidly transporting their catch to distant markets. Practical methods of canning 

 were not known at that time. As a result of these conditions the lobster fishery 

 of New England was limited to a few sections of the coast until about 1840, when 

 transportation facilities were greatly improved and commercial methods of can- 

 ning were discovered. The lobster fisheries of the United States reached their great- 

 est extent, considered from the standpoint of quantity taken, about 1892, when 

 23,724,525 pounds, valued at about $1,062,392 were sold. 



Location of Present Industry 



Cape Cod was one of the most important centers of the early lobster industry, 

 but since about 1870 this region has been succeeded by Maine. Massachusetts 

 ranks second; New Hampshire, third; Connecticut, fourth; and Rhode Island, 

 fifth. 



Canada is the most important lobster-producing country, its product exceeding 

 that of all the rest of the world combined. The Canadian lobster fishery is largely 

 centered in Nova Scotia. All lobsters caught in the United States are consumed 



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