STONINGTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- Low prices for live lobster are prompting more lobstermen to tie up their boats and suspend their fishing across the state.
On Wednesday, most of the roughly 200 lobstermen who work out of Stonington stayed on the docks. They hope that by reducing supply they will drive prices for live lobster up.
An abundance of soft-shell lobsters, known as shedders, knocked prices that lobstermen in Stonington receive to as little as $1.50 a pound. Many fishermen say that's not even enough money to cover their expenses.
Many of them say they intend to stay off the water all week.
"If depending on the price by not a volume of lobsters coming in, maybe the guff that's on the market will get cleared up," said Barry Shepard, who has been catching lobsters in Stonington for the last 30 years, "processing plants are apparently supposed to open next week which will help a lot."
It is estimated that out of 200 lobstermen in Stonington, only about a dozen took their boats out to sea on Wednesday.
NEWS CENTER