New shell Maine lobsters finally appearing in the market
Maine lobsters are now beginning their molt with soft or “new shell” lobsters beginning to hit the market. We reported last week that this year’s lobster shedding season is behind recent years due to colder spring and summer water temperatures. As a result, catches to start the season are down as much as half of what they were compared to last year. But according to J.P.’s Shellfish’s James King, new-shell lobsters have started to hit the market and are commanding lower prices than hard-shell product at an equivalent size.
Shrimpers in South Carolina are reporting increased local demand for East Coast white shrimp that is propping up their industry as both the fleet and catch dwindle. South Carolina’s shrimp industry is unable to compete with Gulf catches at the national retail level over the sheer lack of harvested volume. A Clemson University studied proposed the region’s shrimp fishery could find a niche national market under one brand, but industry veterans say fishermen may be too fragmented for such an undertaking.
In other news, pink salmon's abundance in British Columbia and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest is outcompeting sockeye, despite the latter's incredible run in Bristol Bay this year. Pinks appear to have better adapted to climate change and are so numerous they are effectively competing against sockeye and other salmon species for food.
Finally, Virginia’s oyster harvest has climbed to its highest level in over 25 years. Last year’s harvest produced 504,000 bushels, up 25 percent from the previous year; the catch was valued at over $22 million.
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