Overview
- Maine’s Department of Marine Resources reported Friday that 2025 landings totaled 78.8 million pounds, the lowest since 2008.
- The dockside value reached more than $461 million, down from over $536 million in 2024, even with an average price of $5.85 per pound.
- Commissioner Carl Wilson attributed the drop to roughly 21,000 fewer trips, a late molt that delayed the season, and tariff-related market uncertainty.
- Scientists point to warming Gulf of Maine waters and a northward shift toward Canada, while the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has flagged rapid declines and an overfishing finding that some in the industry dispute.
- Lobster remained Maine’s dominant fishery at nearly three-quarters of total fisheries revenue, though lobstermen reported high fuel, bait and gear costs that squeezed profits.