Maine lobster men have traditionally protected their share of the resource through lobstering territories. In any port, they have an informal, often unspoken agreement about where each member of the fishing community may lay his traps. All the members of one community even lay their strings of traps in one direction, such as north to […]

During World War II lobster was considered a delicacy, and consequently was not rationed. Thus lobster meat filled the increasing demand for protein-rich food. People could afford it because of the boom of the war time economy. Although there was a decline in lobster purchases immediately after the war, lobster consumption rapidly rebounded. In the […]

Any egg-bearing females must be released. Some female lobsters are “V-notched,” that is, a triangular slice is cut from a tail flipper. This badge of motherhood is meant to keep them off the dinner table and in the breeding pool. Cutting the V-notch is a voluntary action on the part of conservation-minded lobster men and […]

Long ago, lobsters were so plentiful that Native Americans used them to fertilize their fields and to bait their hooks for fishing. In colonial times, lobsters were considered “poverty food.” They were harvested from tidal pools and served to children, to prisoners, and to indentured servants, who exchanged their passage to America for seven years […]

Lobsters are such amazing animals, they have the ability to regenerate legs, claws and antennae! In fact, they can amputate their own claws & legs to escape danger. While holding a lobster upside down is a good way to test its liveliness, it tends to make the lobster nervous – and a scared lobster is […]