May 28, 2021 — Lobster isn’t number one in the nation anymore.
Salmon is now the United States’ highest-grossing, wild-caught domestic fishery, according to the latest report issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology.
The report, issued last week, shows salmon leaping from third to first, with lobster slipping to number two nationally.
In Maine, lobster still tops the charts, with no serious rivals.
“Lobster is, by far, the most valuable species harvested in Maine,” said Jeff Nichols, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
The new national numbers do not reflect aquaculture-raised salmon. The data covers 2019, the most recent year with complete data. The cash values represent money paid to fishermen at the dock, not consumer retail prices.