Maine Lobster Facts

Maine lobster aka American lobster

The Maine lobster, also known as American lobster, is one of North America's most popular seafood delicacies. This delicious crustacean is caught in Canada as well as the United States.

The following are a few Maine lobster facts:

Although it is often called "Maine lobster", the species occurs in American waters from Maine through North Carolina.

Maine lobsters are solitary and territorial by nature, often laying claim to a burrow or crevice for protection. Although they move within their habitat, adult lobsters usually remain within a home range of a few square miles. Large adults often live in deep ocean water but make seasonal migrations inshore to reproduce.

Maine lobsters molt 10 times in their first year, reaching lengths of 1 -1.5 inches. Lobsters can grow back new claws, legs, and antennae. A lobster that has lost 1 claw is called a cull. One that has lost 2 claws is called a bullet.

The largest known Maine lobster weighed a whopping 44 pounds. Scientists have not discovered an accurate method for measuring the exact age of Maine lobsters. Based on growth estimates, biologists believe that some lobsters live for nearly 100 years.

The American (Maine) lobster fishery, with an ex-vessel value of nearly $400 million in 2010, ranks as one of the most value Atlantic coast fisheries. Maine's lobster landings make up almost 80% of the value of the U.S. fishery.

The vast majority of Maine lobsters are caught in lobster pots. A small percentage of overall landings are caught by trawling. SCUBA divers sometimes catch Maine lobsters by hand.

In the USA, Maine lobsters are managed regionally by the ASMFC American Lobster Management Board. The board regulates three distinct stocks, including Gulf of Maine (GOM), Georges Bank (GBK), and Southern New England (SNE).

NOAA Seafood Marketing Studies

Two new NOAA Sea Grant studies will look at how new business models, based on the success of community supported agriculture, could benefit fishing communities in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Barbara Walker, Ph.D., a cultural geographer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will lead a study of community-supported fisheries and other direct-marketing programs in Washington, as well as North Carolina and South Carolina. The emphasis will be on helping fishermen learn about direct marketing and identify approaches that might be appropriate for the local fisheries and consumer base.

A second Sea Grant-funded project looks at developing higher-value product lines, for example, by delivering fish live, or by smoking, freezing, or otherwise processing product. Ana Pitchon, Ph.D., an assistant professor of anthropology at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles County, and James Hilger, a fisheries resource economist at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego, will explore what can be done to add value to fish and shellfish landed locally, using four fisheries as case studies; Pacific sardine, Dungeness crab, near-shore live finfish, and spot prawn.

The four West Coast Sea Grant programs selected these two projects, totaling $500,000, through an independent peer-review process. NOAA provided funding through its National Sea Grant College Program.

source: NOAA FishNews

Alaska Salmon Industry to Drop MSC Certification

In January, 2012, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation announced that it had received letters from eight major primary salmon processors advising AFDF they are phasing out their financial support for the Marine Stewardship Council salmon certification program. Collectively the eight processors account for approximately 72% of the Alaska salmon harvest.

The processors will support the MSC program for Alaska salmon only through October of 2012, when the current certificate expires. The eight processors include Trident Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods, E & E Foods, Kwikpak Fisheries, and North
Pacific Seafoods.

At the salmon industry’s request, AFDF took over the clientship for MSC certification of Alaska salmon in February, 2010. The move came following Alaska Department of Fish and Game's announcement in July of 2008 that they would no longer carry out the duties required of the client.

source: Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation

New Zealand CRAMAC5 Rock Lobsters Receive FoS Certification

New Zealand Rock Lobster harvested by members of the CRA 5 Rock Lobster Industry Association Incorporated (CRAMAC5) will now be certified by Friend of the Sea.

The CRA 5 rock lobster fishery is located on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

CRAMAC 5 represents 54 quota owners, 27 active commercial crayfishing vessels and two main processors. The bulk of the catch is exported live into Hong Kong and China.

Rock lobsters harvested in the fishery are caught by potting, which has a minimal bycatch and a very low impact to the seabed.

The fishery is regulated by the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries within the Quota Management System. The Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) is 350 tonnes per year. Size limits for Rock Lobster are specified in the Fisheries Regulations 2001, with a minimum tail width of 60mm for females and 54mm for males. Rock lobsters caught below these limits are returned to the sea alive.

The production chain is short as the catch is taken by an owner-operated vessel and generally landed to a processor who is also an exporter.

source: FoS

Types of Smoked Salmon

Salmon is usually smoked by either hot-smoking or cold-smoking.

Hot-smoking is a process by which the fish is smoked from 6 to 12 hours at 120° - 180°F. The type and size of fish, desired flavor, local tradition, and other factors affect the hot smoking process.

Cold-smoking is done using temperatures of 100°F or less. Cold smoking times range from roughly 24 hours to as much as 3 weeks.

Types of smoked salmon:

American style kippered salmon is chunked, steaked or filleted Pacific salmon that has been brined and hot-smoked.

European kippered salmon consists of whole salmon that has been split, brined and cold-smoked.

Lox is a type of brined, cold-smoked salmon that tends to be saltier than other smoked salmon.

Several geographical designations for cold smoked salmon include Nova or Nova Scotia, Scotch-smoked, Danish-smoked and Irish-smoked. In some cases, these names refer more to a process than an actual area.

Cold-smoked Pacific salmon (usually coho or chinook) is often labeled as smoked salmon without reference to the type of smoking process.

Indian-cure salmon is brined fish that has been cold-smoked for up to 2 weeks until it becomes jerky.

Squaw candy is another type of smoked Pacific salmon consisting of thin strips of salmon that has been cured in a salt-sugar brine before being hot-smoked.

Both hot and cold smoked salmon is popular for making smoked salmon dip, fish chowders, and other recipes.