Lobsters vs. Crabs:
Comparing and Contrasting Maine’s Lobster Industry to Maryland’s Crab Industry
Maine and Maryland are two of the biggest seafood industry states on the East Coast, each specialize in different seafood; Maine is lobster while Maryland is crab. Their industries have many similarities including being a large contributor to their states economies, both have many restrictions on the way they fish, and also both are facing problems that could be harmful to the industries. Now while both of the industries have some things in common they also have many differences. The biggest difference is Maine having a more sustainable and prosperous industry then Maryland has, this is due to many differences in the types of restrictions and fishing that are used in both states.
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Maine lobster is extremely popular seafood that is widely wanted around the world, but even with the high demand the lobster population is still populous and doesn’t look even close to diminishing. This is much different in Maryland where restrictions had to be put on the way watermen fish to help fix the shortage of crabs there are. While restrictions have been put on both industries there are many differences between the two. First, recreational licenses for crabbing and lobstering vary largely between the states. In Maine to receive a recreational license you must pass a test, be a Maine resident, and have the proper gear and boat. In Maryland you do not need to take a test and you can be a non-resident and still receive a license. So not only in Maryland due commercial watermen have to share the crabs with other watermen but they also have to share with recreational fishers, that have little regulations on them. Not only are recreational licenses different, but so are commercial. In Maine people who want to be commercial lobstermen must first do an apprenticeship under a more experienced lobsterman, and then they can only get a license after a lobsterman retires and a license spot opens up, so in Maine there are a set number of licenses. This is much different in Maryland where you just buy a license. The large amount of licenses in Maryland is causing a large problem with the current low population of crabs. In Maine this isn’t a problem because with the very limited amount of licenses there is a low possibility of overfishing.
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Also, crabbing by large corporations is a big difference between the two states. In Maryland’s case large corporations are allowed to come in and crab, while in Maine large corporations are not allowed to catch lobsters because of Maine’s rule that only one license holder is allowed to be on a boat at a time. Limiting the amount of corporation lobstering allows for the profits to stay in the coastal towns with the local lobstermen, also it allows for the lobster population to remain high. On the other hand, while the population of lobsters is high Maine is seeing a decline in the herring population, which they use as bait. If the shortage continues then there could be a massive hit to the lobstering industry. Maine has been importing herring in form Canada while they try to resolve their herring shortage.
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Maryland’s crab industry problems are more severe than Maine’s, because instead of just a bait shortage; Maryland’s crabs are at an extremely low rate. Resolution for this problem is proving to be difficult, because there is a dispute between the government and the watermen. The government believes overfishing by the watermen has led to the drastic drop in the crab population. So, because of this belief more restrictions have been put on watermen, which have led them to not be able to bring in the amount of crab that they need to survive. On the other hand, the watermen believe that pollution is the main cause of the population drop. While there is many programs that have been made to regulate the pollution in the Chesapeake the watermen believe that their restrictions should be lifted. It will take some compromising on both sides to resolve the decline in the crabbing population.
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While both states have many similarities, the state of their industries are vastly different, with Maryland’s being far worse than Maine’s. Maryland could learn much from Maine, especially looking at the relationship between the government and the lobstermen, a better relationship between the two sides could drastically improve how restrictions are set up and followed and allow there to be a chance for a revival of the crabbing industry.
Sunday Telegram Herring Shortage Pinching Maine Lobster Industry Comments.
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Very interesting the comparison between the two of the biggest seafood industry states on the East Coast, which shows the difference in the way they regulate the lobster fishing in Maine and the crab in Maryland; these differences are the ones that are not understood ... it seems that the intervention of a suprastadal entity, which is the one that must establish egalitarian laws, will be lacking; because, in the long run, who suffers is the normal citizen, who is going to be punished for some reason. That is the problem of governments, their politicians and their supernatural laws ... By the way, I was in Maine years ago and had the opportunity to eat their lobsters, well, it was a total delight. Greetings @erodedthoughts
It seems that the laws in today's world are not to protect the average Joe but they are not all simply for the super rich either. There is more going on to protect the well off section of society and that is happening everywhere. You appease the well off and ignore the poor and that leaves the door open for the rich to do as they please.
The world is made up of distractions. Like even with these crustacean's. They are sold locally basically to the poor, very cheap, as the well off are informed they are not good to eat. The next step is to ship them out and once that happens the prices are in fact jacked up with the reason being there are fewer crustaceans and that justifies the prices. They distract you with population counts but that is done to hide the poor quality. It happens everywhere all the time all you have to do is look around to truly see what is going on.
Yes, very good point, we always have the great manipulators or scammers of market, who direct everything to obtain the maximum profits. Certainly the demands can be manipulated by the big capitals of the region ...
I will leave this here
I would have expected nothing less, lol
haha, I don't even need to hit play to know what that is...
Interesting blog! Here in Holland crab and lobsters are really expensive.
They are like that in a lot of places. I chose this topic as I live at one spot and visit the other and when buying the crustaceans from the locals in either spot they are dirt cheap. Sub $1 per pound on Lobster and around $20 for a bushel of #1 sized males crabs. You just have to be willing to eat them.
This is interesting. Could it also be that the demand for crab is higher than that of lobster?
Also is the Maryland crabbing route actually polluted? If so why is the government not fixing the problem considering that crabbing plays an integral part in their economy?
Anything that has big business involved gets dirty real fast. I wonder why?
If you have ever lived somewhere the Ocean meets the Bay, there is always a save the bay slogan. As pollution from salt water goes into fresh water and vice versa. It always seems to be an area of larger pollution when they join than when in deeper waters. Maryland waters have been polluted for years. The main bacteria is Vibrio. Not only are the crabs affected but any and all fish are mostly not eaten by the locals but are normally shipped out around the globe.
Jeez! They don't eat the fish but they sell it to other parts of the world? Is that not wrong?
Indeed it is wrong but as you said it is an integral part of the economy and there are different regulations around the world that allow it. It is not the best move on a moral ground but as far as what is legal it is how they get paid.
Men... So many grey areas. I understand that it is not good for consumption for a reason. The regulations supersedes public health? I don't like this profit over human lives.
Governments with poor policy making systems, regulatory bodies who do not know how to go about their jobs and legislators who have forgotten who they owe their service to have contributed to such situations. Also unscrupulous business men ready to do any deal for the quick buck are responsible for such situations.
We have had health scare several times in the past; poisoned beans, chicken and fish shipped into the country that had been preserved with embalming chemicals, expired canned foods, expired drugs, fake drugs... The list goes on and on.
When do we put morals before profit, human lives before economic growth? It is scary really.
"Also unscrupulous business men ready to do any deal for the quick buck are responsible for such situations."
This is the problem in any business, money makes those willing to hurt others rich.
You take a sailboat out on the Chesapeake bay and you play roulette with all the crab pot buoys . Damn shame .
Our fishing industry needs some work .
How I love crab and lobster .
I read years ago that years ago Nobody would eat lobsters so Maine would feed Prisoner lobsters to save money . is that not some hoot .
My son in law works at the prison and he has complained many times that his food sucks compared to that of those doing time. It is always when they are having lobster and crabs when he bitches the most. I have only heard him cuss more and that was when they had to hand out PS4's or xBox Ones to every cell.
holly crab!!!
It's an interesting and instructive approach, comparing how Maine does it with how Maryland does it. I'm sure the big companies have their arguments for why this violates free market rights or whatever, but sustainability should come before any economic or market-freedom arguments.
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