Frequently Asked Questions

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) is not currently listed as endangered. NOAA's most recent stock assessment found the Gulf of Maine / Georges Bank stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. However, the Southern New England stock has been depleted since the late 1990s. The IUCN lists the species as "Least Concern" but notes localized population declines in warmer waters.

The Maine lobster fishery uses strict conservation measures including minimum and maximum carapace size limits (3 1/4 inches minimum, 5 inches maximum), mandatory release of egg-bearing females, V-notch protection of proven breeders, trap limits (800 per license holder in Maine), and biodegradable escape panels. These measures have helped maintain a healthy breeding stock. However, Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch placed American lobster on its "Avoid" list in 2022 due to risks to the endangered North Atlantic right whale from fishing gear entanglement, not because of lobster population health.

V-notching is a practice where a small V-shaped notch is cut into the right uropod (tail flipper) of a female lobster caught carrying eggs. This mark signals to all fishermen that she is a proven breeder and must be released, even after her eggs have hatched and the notch is the only remaining sign. The mark persists through several molts, protecting her reproductive capacity for years. This practice is unique to lobster fisheries and is credited as a key reason the Gulf of Maine population has thrived.

The Gulf of Maine has been warming faster than 99% of the global ocean. This warming has driven lobster populations northward and into deeper water. Southern New England's lobster fishery collapsed, with landings falling from over 20 million pounds in the late 1990s to under 2 million pounds by the 2010s. Meanwhile, Maine landings surged to record levels. Continued warming threatens to push temperatures past the species' thermal optimum (12-18 degrees C), increase prevalence of epizootic shell disease, reduce dissolved oxygen, and alter the timing of larval settlement.

Epizootic shell disease (ESD) is a bacterial infection that erodes the chitin in a lobster's carapace, creating deep lesions that can lead to secondary infections and death. Shell disease prevalence in Long Island Sound reached 30% or higher in some survey years and is strongly correlated with water temperatures above 20 degrees C (68 degrees F). Female lobsters are more susceptible because they molt less frequently while carrying eggs, giving bacteria more time to establish on the shell.

In Maine and federal waters, the minimum legal carapace length is 3 1/4 inches (82.6 mm) and the maximum is 5 inches (127 mm). The minimum ensures lobsters reproduce at least once before harvest. The maximum protects large, highly fertile breeders. A 5-inch female can produce roughly 100,000 eggs compared to about 8,000 for a minimum-size female. Carapace length is measured from the rear of the eye socket to the end of the body shell.

It depends entirely on local and state regulations. In Maine, recreational divers need a non-commercial lobster license, may keep a limited number of lobsters per day, and must measure each one with an approved gauge. Taking egg-bearing females or V-notched females is illegal everywhere. Seasons, size limits, and licensing requirements vary by state. Always check with your state's marine resources department before harvesting.

Lobsters are opportunistic omnivores and benthic predators. Studies of stomach contents show their diet consists primarily of crabs, snails, mussels, clams, sea urchins, starfish, and polychaete worms, supplemented by fish, algae, and eelgrass. They use their larger crusher claw to break open hard-shelled prey and their smaller ripper (pincher) claw to tear soft tissue. Lobsters are also scavengers and occasionally cannibalistic, particularly toward recently molted individuals.

Maine limits each commercial license holder to 800 traps, preventing overcapitalization. The owner-operator law requires that the license holder must be aboard the vessel hauling the traps. You cannot simply buy a fleet of boats. This prevents corporate consolidation and ensures the people fishing have a personal, long-term stake in the health of their local ecosystem. These regulations are widely credited with keeping the Maine fishery community-based and sustainable.

NOAA Fisheries has implemented regulations requiring weak links and breakaway rope sleeves in vertical buoy lines so that entangled whales can break free. Large seasonal closure areas restrict fishing when right whales are present. The industry is also testing ropeless or on-demand fishing gear that eliminates persistent vertical lines by using timed-release, acoustic, or lift-bag retrieval systems. Federal rulemaking has targeted reducing entanglement risk by at least 90% relative to 2017 levels.