Wahle’s settlement index cited in Mainebiz article on lobster catch, prices
Mainebiz cited information from the American Lobster Settlement Index in the article, “Lobster catch down, prices remain steady.” Maine’s lobster catch is lower than recent years at this time of the season, but that hasn’t translated into higher prices for consumers, according to the article. Earlier this year, findings of an international monitoring program of American lobsters indicated the number of young lobsters in the Gulf of Maine continues to fall. The 2016 update from the American Lobster Settlement Index, a program founded in 1989 by University of Maine marine scientist Rick Wahle, noted the decline in baby lobsters has been occurring since 2007, despite an abundance of egg-bearing adult lobsters and record-breaking harvests, the article states. “A downward trend in lobster production could significantly impact the state’s coastal economy in the future,” the settlement report states. The Sun Journal also cited the index in the article, “Maine’s youngest fishermen: hooked on tradition, challenged to innovate.”