April 19, 2016 โ Jean Lavallรฉe said he once watched a Canadian lobsterman overstuff a crate with lobsters, put the wooden lid on top and then smash it down with his foot.
The resulting crunch of limbs and shells โsounded like a bowl of Rice Krispies,โ he told a group of Maine lobstermen in Bath on Monday. Not only did the carelessness cause needless death and injury, Lavallรฉe said, it also undoubtedly cost the lobsterman some money.
โI couldnโt believe it,โ he said.
Lavallรฉe, a veterinarian from Prince Edward Island who has specialized in lobsters for more than 20 years, is traveling along the Maine coast this week to lead a series of workshops on proper care and handling of the lucrative crustaceans. The workshops are sponsored by the Maine Lobstermenโs Association and the Maine Lobstermenโs Community Alliance with funding from the Island Institute.
Lavallรฉe said as many as 10 percent of the lobsters harvested in the U.S. die on their way to market. Given Maineโs $616.5 million harvest in 2015, thatโs up to $61.7 million in lost revenue for the stateโs top fishery.
โWe kill more lobsters (prematurely) than most other countries are fishing for their entire year,โ he said of the U.S. lobster industry. โThatโs a lot of lobsters.โ
Lavallรฉe argues that more careful handling of lobsters, based on a better understanding of their anatomy and biology, will reduce losses and save the industry millions of dollars.