March 6, 2014 โ The T-shirts said it all โ "Commercial Fisherman: Proudly Feeding America." "Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, Together We Persevere." "Fish Forever." There was an aura of feistiness at the 39th Maine Fishermen's Forum last weekend, as fishermen of all stripes, government officials, environmentalists and business people came together to discuss the current state of fishing in New England.
Underlying the discussions was a pervasive recognition that the western Atlantic Ocean is inexorably changing as the world's climate grows warmer. In order to continue as their fathers and grandfathers did before them, the region's fishermen know that they must change as well.
Lobsters at Center Stage
Lobsters once again took center stage at the Forum. On Saturday, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced the preliminary 2013 landing figures for the state. Maine lobstermen harvested 125,953,876 pounds, slightly less than in 2012 but still the second highest number of pounds on record. The average price per pound increased slightly, resulting in a total landed value of $364 million, a $22 million increase over 2012 and $30 million over 2011.
The importance of the lobster fishery and the need to improve its marketing were emphasized by Governor Paul LePage at a Friday presentation by the new Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC). "Now that we have a sustainable industry, we can go to work. We need to protect the brand. It's a healthy product. Long live the lobster industry of Maine," he said. Maine lobster received certification as a sustainable fishery from the Maine Stewardship Council in 2013, which allows seafood businesses to use the coveted MSC label on Maine lobster and lobster products.
The MLMC came into existence last October, superceding the old Maine Lobster Promotion Council. Marianne LaCroix, interim director of the Collaborative, said the goal of its marketing plan is straightforward: to get more people to eat more lobster more often. The MLMC's budget in this first year is $750,000. That increases to $1.5 million in 2015 and caps at $2.25 million in 2016.
The MLMC plans to start by promoting Maine lobster's sweet flavor to chefs, upscale hotel and restaurant chains, seafood buyers and journalists. It has established a partnership with the Culinary Institute of America and will take part in the Institute's Food Arts Greystone Flavor Summit in April in California, which brings food and beverage executives and corporate and executive chefs together to explore food trends and future directions. LaCroix said that increasing demand for Maine lobster is a task shared by the Collaborative and lobstermen themselves. "This marketing effort depends on industry. We can't do it alone," she said.
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