Created by Lyman Moore Middle School students
Lobstering is a way of life in Maine. Lobster is one of the states' largests exports and an important part our economy and identity.
Lobstering is also an important part of Portland's waterfront community and economy. In addition to lobstermen, the lobster industry provides jobs to people who load and unload boats, trap makers, bait dealers, fishermen who supply the bait dealers, dockmakers, lobster dealers, auctioneers, and people who work in seafood restaurants.
We chose to research lobstering because of our family connections to lobstering in Portland.
Lobsters were so plentiful in Colonial Days that the native Americans used lobsters to fertlize their land and to bait fishing hooks.
In the 1900's lobsters were harvested for prisoners and the poor. The majority of all lobsters were captured before they'd had a chance to reproduce even once.
Today Maine Lobsters are considered a delicacy and shipped around the world. Tourists often say that their stay in Portland would not be complete with out a lobster dinner.
The industry has remained stable providing jobs for people on the coast of Maine while shipbuilding started to crumble. Fishermen were affected by the lack of shipbuilding and had to find other ways to fix their boats. Lobstermen had to learn how to fix there own boats or find someone to fix the boats for them. We now have fiberglass boats so it's not hard to replace.
The gasoline engine served as the springboard for the development of the modern lobster boat. By the early 1900s, gas-powered lobster boats gradually replaced many of the sailboats and rowboats.
Many animals besides humans eat lobsters. Other than humans, cod fish are probably the lobsters principle enemy, followed by other bottom dwelling fish, such as flounder, sculpins, wolffish, eels, rock gunnels. Even raccoons have been known to raid coastal lobster businesses.
Individual states manage lobster fishing within their three mile boundaries. This Star Lobster packing label comes from the Portland Packing Company in Portland, Maine.
During our research we walked the waterfront and talked to a number of people that work in the lobster industry. They included lobstermen, a bait dealer, the owner of a lobster pound, and a lobster shipping plant. In the past they used to ship lobsters cooked, but now, because of all the improvements in technology, lobsters can be sent alive around the world.
On Union Wharf we visited a lobster cannery.
Maine imposes a maximum legal size of 5 inches carapace-length. Carapace-length is the length of a lobster as measured from the eye socket to the begining of it's tail. The breeders, which may produce 100,000 eggs rather than 10,000 average eggs, can stay in the population of lobsters.
The minimum size for legal lobsters was increased in 1988 after scientists persuaded the lobstermen to get the law changed. The legal size was increased by two inches to 3 5/16 inches. Femal lobsters bearing eggs must be released back into the ocean after being caught in a lobster trap. Femals with eggs contribute to the population of lobsters and should be kept off the dinner table.
A Special Thanks to:
Steve Bromage, Phoebe Tureen, Rob Inman, The Maine Historical Society, Capt. Jeff Monroe, Angela Clark, and Mr. St. Pierre for making this program possible.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fishtown Eduction Series. Lobstering on the Benjo
www.homepage.mac.com/mooncusser/photoabum.html
Maine Lobster Prmotaion Council
A day in the life of a maine lobster harvester
www.mainelobsterikngpromo.com/profile2.html
