Eat More Lobster, Show Wall Street How to Save Businesses

Do your part to help the economy and buy some lobster.

Sounds like a weird proposition, but it is really quite simple: The other day, my friend George, a lobster fisherman in Stonington, Maine, decided to serve his fresh-caught and unsold lobsters to his guests one night because, he said, they were cheaper than the hot dogs he had planned to serve.

Sometimes -- even for an urban consumer -- hamburger and chicken is more expensive, on a per-pound basis, than lobster, and that's taking the shell into account, no less. And let's not forget that it is a lot easier to cook lobster than it is to cook meat: all you need to do is steam it! (A couple of inches of water in the bottom of a big pot, for about 10 minutes--about as simple as can be).

True or not, he and his colleagues have a problem: while the cost of diesel fuel and bait have shot up, along with insurance, repairs, radios, boots and so forth, the "boat price" they have been getting for lobsters went down this summer by about half to a point not seen since the early 1980's: $2.00 or $2.50 per pound. That means that they lose money if they go out to haul their lobster traps. Typically each fisherman has hundreds of traps in the water and pulls in hundreds of pounds a day.

While the lobster fishery of coastal Maine is well-managed to the point where there are plenty of lobsters, there are, in fact, hardly any other fish to catch due to horrible mismanagement over the years, including the herring they use for bait. And in small coastal communities, where working waterfronts are cherished, there are not a lot of alternatives for freelance work. There are only so many people who need their houses fixed up.

There are, however, plenty of lobsters. Unfortunately, the biggest clients -- Canadian processors -- turn out to be suffering from lack of credit. Here's where the global financial markets meltdown hurts little seaside towns. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) has called the situation "the perfect storm of high fuel and bait costs" that threatens Maine's unique culture. So if we can do our part by going out and creating a slight increase in demand, things might start to get better for my hard-working friends up there.

And about that "hard-working" aspect: The Maine Lobstermen's Association finds that there is almost total rejection of any solution that involves bailouts. It's great to see the Maine tradition of communities acting independently to try to solve problems on their own, including holding major lobster bakes to consume 10,000 lobsters just this fall. Considering that lobster is basically an export product, that's pretty remarkable.

So if you want one of the world's best foods, one that is totally and completely unprocessed (I mean, what could be less processed? It is sold LIVE! It is WILD and SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED! ), and to help save an irreplaceable culture and economy, then go out a buy a lobster now. Even in New York City it can be found for $7.95 a pound, which is a common serving size. That more than I pay for a gourmet sandwich. Save a job and a culture, eat a lobster. Who knew that lobster could be a solution?

Steve Ettlinger's most recent book is Twinkie, Deconstructed. His website is www.twinkiedeconstructed.com; email is [e-mail].

Comments

[Steve Ettlinger - Huffpost Blogger]

YIKES! What a canard that is! Lobster is WAY lower in cholesterol than chicken and beef, and even lower in calories! A heart healthy diet could easily include it, especially if you serve it with a low-fat or low-calorie sauce instead of drawn butter.....of course.

Here's a USDA chart with some facts:

Fat and Cholesterol Comparison Chart
Serving Size 3.5 oz. Total
Calories Cholesterol Saturated Fat
Milligrams Grams
Maine lobster 98 72 0.1
Beef - top round 207 90 2.0
Chicken - light meat only 173 85 1.3
Egg (1) - 50 gm 77 212 1.6
Pork loin 213 85 3.6
Shrimp 99 195 0.3
Turkey - light meat only 161 68 1.2
Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 12 & 13 (Refers to lobster meat only – consumers are advised to discard the tomalley.)

Thanks for commenting, anyway.

Steve Ettlinger (author)

[bernusdellus]

Nice article but if you suffer from hypertension [high blood pressure], stick to expensive hamburger. Lobster, crayfish and prawns [shrimp] are extremely high in cholesterol.

You can't help the economy by dying of a heart attack.

[NWReader]

Here on the west coast I'm eating fresh salmon, for much the same reason. The price per pound at the grocery store is a little higher, but seven dollars of salmon feeds me more meals than seven dollars of chicken. And if I get off my butt and go to the docks, it's way cheaper. Eat local!

[CMarieLemieux]

I loved this article. It does a brilliant job of highlighting the facts - that hamburger is more expensive per-pound right now than lobster - that the rising cost of fuel and bait vs. the severly dropping price of lobster is creating a "perfect storm" for fishermen and that lobster is about as unprocessed as you can get.

But what I loved most about the article (made my heart swell) was how it highlighted the ruggid spirit of Mainers and their determination to get through this crisis without help from the government. This so captures the spirit of Maine communities. If only the banks and automobile manufacturers could conduct themselves with such humble integrity (rather than flying to Washington in private jets for a government handout).

Thank you for spreading the word and helping support the lobster fishermen of Maine. I have been trying to spread the word via my blog, twitter and what other means I can find.

http://notesfromalobsterfishingvillage.blogspot.com/

[Ricktay]

I like lobster, but haven't checked prices recently. If it is indeed affordable here in Kentucky, I'll add it to my menu. But the last time I looked into it, it was really, really expensive at the local Krogers.

It's great that the lobster fishery was better supported and managed than other fisheries (cod, herring, et al). I feel guilty if I eat cod, as that is my favorite fish.