US, Canada lobstermen to gather for common claws in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine – Members of the lobster industry from the United States and Canada will meet in Maine’s largest city next month for a meeting about the state of the business.

The University of Maine Lobster Institute is hosting the 15th Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting on April 5 and 6 at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel in Portland. The yearly event alternates between the U.S. and Canada and brings together lobstermen, dealers, processors, scientists and others from both countries.

Fishermen from the U.S. and Canada harvest the same species of lobster, which is commonly called the “American lobster” or the “Maine lobster.” The fishery is in the midst of a time of prosperity, but it also faces threats such as foreign tariffs, warming oceans and new restrictions to protect whales.