PORTLAND, Maine — It’s peak season for lobster and tourism in Maine, yet consumption of this crustacean has fallen to the point where it costs no more than sliced turkey in parts of New England.
A solid harvest and diminished demand from diners adjusting to the weak economy have pushed the retail price of lobster in Maine beneath $6 a pound, tightening the financial squeeze on fishermen struggling with soaring fuel prices.
While fewer locals and tourists overall are shelling out for lobster dinners, some say the affordability — at a time when most food prices are rising — has encouraged them to eat more of the seafood delicacy than usual.
Katina Wetter, who drove from Indiana to Portland with her family, is counting her pennies while on vacation — but said she definitely won’t skimp on the state’s signature seafood. “I’d be buying lobsters anyway, but not as many if the prices weren’t this low,” Wetter said.
