Stonington -
When it comes to lobster, sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.
There's more lobster in Maine right now than the market can handle, driving the price down to lows some fishermen have never seen before.
"Hot dogs here on the island are $4.99 a pound. I never thought I'd see the day where I could eat hot Maine boiled lobster for less than I could eat a hot dog," said Julie Eaton, a Stonington lobsterman.
A mild winter led to an early and plentiful season for soft shell lobsters. Dealers are paying less per pound and lobster processing plants in Canada don't have room for the influx.
Fishermen are feeling the pinch.
Stonington fisherman Gary Eaton said, "Most of us right now have to catch 400 pounds before we make a dime and that's only $600."
Every time their boat leaves the harbor they have to pay for fuel, bait and crew wages before they start turning a profit, a profit which these days is smaller than usual.
"We go fishing everyday. We're on the boat everyday and knowing lobsters are out there and you can't catch them yeah that's real bad. It's too bad to bring them in and give them away though," said lobsterman Ronnie Shepard of Deer Isle.
After talking to one another, the fishermen decided they should probably work together. They thought maybe just tying up their boats this week might be the best thing for the market as a whole.
Julie Eaton said, "They're tying up to our east and to our west and we've joined that movement as well and we're hoping that by tying up this will have an impact on our industry."
"Hopefully it will help the market on the other end of things, the market is glutted," said Gary Eaton.
In a statement, the Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources Commissioner said he and the governor share the industry's concerns. He said, "We are committed to seeking ways to prevent this scenario in the future through appropriate marketing and management strategies. I have spoken to many industry members about this issue and will continue to solicit ideas moving forward."
The lobstermen say in the meantime, they're prepared to keep their boats tied up until Monday or longer if they have to.
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