While news of another “tie-up” by Maine lobstermen to protest low boat prices may prompt recollections of the great lobster wars of the 1950s, the era that needs reflection — and interpretation — is the lobstering boomtime that just ended.

Until the economy crashed, taking prices of luxury items with it, lobstering enjoyed a period of prosperity unequaled in its history. More millions of pounds of the tasty crustacean was hauled from Maine waters than ever before, creating great wealth in communities all along the coast.

A great deal of this success came from foresight. Maine’s lobster fishery is perhaps the most heavily regulated and self-policed fishery in the country. It’s managed by time-honored customs, fear, and respect, combined with a loose bureaucracy of several lobster zone councils overseen by the Department of Marine Resources.

As groundfishing struggled and the urchin spike flattened, the seemingly endless amount of lobsters on the rocky bottom stood as a testament to the industry’s preparation and devotion to sustainability. This is a fishery that rarely failed to safeguard itself if lobsters should run out.

This is a fishery, however, that failed to consider what would happen if the money ran out, which is the problem it faces now. As other fishermen  mull days-at-sea, community co-ops and permit banks, lobstermen are dealing with a comparative luxury: plenty of product, but not enough price.

It’s one fishery crisis where scientists can take a back seat to economists.

Losing sight of the future is a pardonable offense, given how rampant it was before the recession, but the fishery did have warnings. Post-9/11 transportation problems, for example, showed how volatile the lobster market could be, if supply lines between Maine and the world were cut.

This recession is like that interruption, but writ large. No alternatives were considered if the lobster market tanked. Instead of grounded planes, a grounded economy is cutting the supply lines of Maine lobstermen, as spare other outlets for their product have been developed or cultivated.

This is the top recommendation today of the governor’s task force on lobster sustainability: reinforcing marketing efforts to re-brand the crustacean to the world. Compared to other states and countries, Maine spends a pittance — $400,000 annually — to promote its lobster industry.

For a fishery that’s thrived by planning ahead, this meager investment is sadly shortsighted.

There’s danger, however, in trying to re-make the lobster to match current market conditions. Once food only fit for prisoners, the lobster has become a symbol of Maine’s bounty. Eroding its reputation as an elite food shouldn’t be done hastily. 

What should be done is a short-term blitz campaign to salvage this season, followed by some deep-thinking within this historically pragmatic and responsible industry as to make its business model as strong as its fishery.

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