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Maine’s lobster fishing sector, which supports numerous jobs across the state, undergoes thorough monitoring. Management practices are guided by biological assessments that track the changes in the lobster population’s numbers and distribution, alongside reports from dealers and harvers within the industry. However, these figures fail to fully capture the challenges faced by an industry impacted by supply issues, market fluctuations, and geopolitical tensions, or the well-being of the communities and individuals relying on it.
From 2016 to 2022, Maine’s annual lobster landings experienced a 27% drop. In light of this decline, the Maine Lobsterman Association explored new methods to assess the socioeconomic resilience of the lobster industry, aiming to better equip its leaders to adapt to social, economic, environmental, and regulatory shifts.
After two years of gathering data, engaging in both quantitative and qualitative analyses, conducting meetings, and interviewing lobstermen and various stakeholders, a team of researchers from the University of Maine developed new indicators to comprehensively monitor the industry’s resilience. These indicators could provide valuable insights into the well-being of fishermen and their families, haulers, processors, restaurant owners, other businesses, and the local communities they inhabit.
“Fishery managers have long been lacking the necessary data to evaluate the social and economic consequences of regulations on Maine’s lobster industry. This study presents a set of indicators that can bridge this gap, ensuring that future regulations support the sustainability of the resource, lobstermen, and Maine’s coastal communities,” stated Patrice McCarron, the executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
In an article published in the academic journal Marine Policy, the research team identified eight socioeconomic indicators: coastal accessibility, operational condition, business investments, community composition, financial health, risk tolerance, personal spending, and physical and mental health. Coastal accessibility refers to the availability and affordability of housing near the waterfront; operational condition relates to business expenses and other cost factors; and community composition reflects demographic characteristics.
Each indicator is supported by secondary data sourced from state and federal agencies, in addition to publicly available information from particular businesses and organizations. For instance, the operational condition indicator draws on data regarding landings, trips, crew, and gear from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, while coastal accessibility is assessed using inventory, pricing, and demographic data from sources like the Maine Housing Authority, Realtor.com, and Airbnb.com.
“These indicators highlight crucial socioeconomic facets of the fishery that lobstermen have been articulating for years. By quantifying these indicators, fishermen, local communities, and managers can pinpoint and swiftly react to shifts in the socioeconomic conditions of the fishing fleet,” explained Theresa Burnham, a research associate at the UMaine School of Marine Sciences and co-leader of the study alongside Joshua Stoll, an associate professor of marine policy.
Diving into the data
While analyzing coastal accessibility, the team discovered that waterfront housing across the state is not affordable for those earning a median income. The accompanying rise in short-term rentals confirms that coastal accessibility has diminished since 2016.
“The dwindling affordability of coastal housing can mean that lobstermen need to travel greater distances to access the waterfront where they work, and it could also hinder individuals seeking seasonal employment on lobster boats,” commented Burnham.
Data and interviews also revealed regional differences within the lobster industry. The operational condition, serving as a measure of costs and earnings for lobstermen, improved in eastern Maine—specifically Washington and Hancock counties—but fell in southern Maine regions like York and Cumberland counties, as well as the midcoast. Additionally, interviews suggested that communities in southern Maine are less reliant on the lobster industry for their economic stability.
The establishment of these indicators paves the way for improved monitoring of Maine’s lobster industry. However, researchers are looking for more data to enhance the effectiveness of these indicators. While coastal accessibility and operational conditions were found to have a wealth of available data, indicators like personal spending and physical and mental health were recognized as lacking sufficient public data. Metrics, including business investments, community composition, financial health, and risk tolerance, were regarded as having insufficient yet varied statistics.
By sharing more data with private enterprises and government entities, the utility of several socioeconomic indicators could be enhanced, thus providing deeper insights into the industry’s health and the well-being of the communities it supports. Future research might also explore further applications of these indicators, potentially serving as a framework for monitoring other fisheries, such as clam and cod.
“This research will yield valuable data to assist researchers and regulators in understanding the relationship between the biological state of the resource and the socioeconomic health of the industry and its community,” noted Kathleen Reardon, co-author of the study and a senior lobster biologist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
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