APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
TABLE 6 
Number of Spiny Lobster 
Boats, Vessels, and Traps 
Boats 
Year Boats Vessels and vessels Traps 
1964 294 47 341 113,653 
1965 286 46 332 LESH OOG 
1966 376 ld ig 488 T5000 
1967 388 140 528 digs Noyes aS) 
1968 187 265 452 168,390 
IGS 255 205 440 164,655 
1970 266 226 492 21977 LO 
UST 250 279 520 225,862 
O72 205 324 SiS 272,495 
£973 269 402 671 304,490 
1974(note a) N/A N/A 658 405,700 
a/ 
— Preliminary data. 
Products and processing 
The bulk of the American lobster catch is sold alive or 
cooked just before consumer sale. Lobsters deteriorate in 
quality very rapidly after death. Consequently, lobsters 
must be delivered live and in sound condition to shore es- 
tablishments for holding, shipment, or for further proces- 
Sing. To keep the lobsters alive aboard offshore boats and 
in holding areas, circulating sea water tanks are required. 
Inshore boats making daily trips may or may not have holding 
facilities. 
Processing ashore is essentiallv a holding operation 
prior to distribution of live lobsters to wholesale and re- 
tail markets. Processors estimated that about 10 percent of 
the lobsters are processed further. Most of these lobsters 
are boiled and the meat removed (shucked) by hand. The meat 
is sold in fresh or frozen form. Lobster meat is often used 
by food processors in various lobster dishes such as bisques, 
soups and newburgs. 
167 
