THE LOBSTER FISHERY 



649 



(Courtesy U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 



Fig. 30-7. The distribution of spiny lobsters {Palinuridae). 



"At tbe market the catch is sorted, counted, and transferred to floating cars or inclosures 

 where it is kept until ready for shipment. Spiny lobsters which have died and those in a 

 dying condition are sold as bait to the hook-and-line fishermen. The market value varies 

 from $0.75 to $2 per dozen, according to season, demand, and size. The average price 

 obtained by the fishermen is $1 per dozen. The dealers sell by the pound. The average 

 spiny lobster weighs about 1/2 pounds. 



"During cool weather spiny lobsters shipped to points in southern Florida are simply 

 placed in wet sacks, and under such conditions they will live 4 or 5 hours. If properly 

 packed they will live from 2 to 3 days. During the winter and spring months many spiny 

 lobsters are shipped as far north as Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. They are packed 

 in barrels containing alternate layers of ice and shellfish. 



"The method of packing is the same as that employed in preparing fish for shipment, 

 except that a layer of sponge clippings or seaweed separates the shellfish from the ice. 

 The average barrel will hold from 10- to 12-dozen spiny lobsters." 



Spiny Lobster Trade.^ "The trade in spiny lobsters in the United States is based 

 mainly on imports since the domestic production of this species has been for several 

 years not more than 1,000,000 pounds (Table 143, p. 651). 



"Before the war the Union of South Africa, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas were the 

 only shippers of fresh and frozen 'lobsters' (spiny lobster). The imports reached a 

 maximum of 5.6 million poimds in 1941. By 1945 this dropped to around 3.3 million 

 pounds. Starting with 1946 imports increased so that over 6,000,000 pounds were 

 shipped to this country during 1946 and 1947 and 7,755,000 pounds in 1948. Besides 

 the 4 principal prewar sources imports have been received from 9 other countries. Within 

 the past year, Australia has entered the export market with frozen spiny lobster tails, 



^ From Chace, F. A., Jr., and Dumont, W. H., "Spiny Lobsters: Identification, World 

 Distribution, and U. S. Trade," U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Commercial Fisheries 

 Review, 11, No. 5, 1-12 (1949). 



