Lobstermen from US, Canada meet for summit in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine – Foreign trade is one of the topics on the minds of U.S. and Canadian lobstermen gathering in Maine’s largest city.

Fishermen from both countries seek the valuable crustaceans in the cold Atlantic Oceanic, and meet every year to discuss the state of the industry.

The theme of the Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting on Saturday was, “Two Nations, Two Fisheries: Shared Challenges, Shared Opportunities.” The University of Maine Lobster Institute was hosting the event that attracts lobstermen, dealers, processors, scientists and others from both countries.

Chinese tariffs serve as a backdrop for the meeting. Canada has advantages over the U.S. in the lobster export market because of a deal it brokered with the European Union. Canadian exporters also don’t face the same Chinese tariffs as Americans.