Maine lobsters are doing what many Americans claimed they were going to do this year: moving to Canada.
Driving the news: Throngs of the delectable crustaceans are migrating to colder Canadian waters as the Gulf of Maine is heating up at one of the world’s fastest rates. Lobsters prefer a cooler habitat, as it provides more nutritious food and is better for their immune systems.
Why it matters: More lobsters to catch may seem like good news for Canadian fishers, but it portends troubling things for the domestic industry. Waters are warming in Atlantic Canada, too, even if it’s at a slower pace. While some researchers are optimistic that lobsters can adapt, risks still exist.
Big picture: As is, Nova Scotia, Canada’s top lobster producer, has had a rocky winter harvest. In January, the president of one exporter claimed that as much as 30% of the catch this season is undesirable for the live market, bearing out an earlier study showing a dip in catch quality.
- If lobsters aren’t adequately healthy, they can’t be sold on the lucrative international live market because they won’t live long enough to survive transatlantic shipments.
- The trend has shaken up the industry — Clearwater Seafoods, one of the province’s top lobster processors, abruptly left the live lobster biz and shuttered a plant last month.
Bottom line: Demand and prices for lobster remain strong, with Canada exporting $2.6 billion worth of lobsters in 2023. But as lower-quality catches — as well as illegal fishing activity and smaller hauls — eat into margins, the challenges are prominent.—QH