Boston and Cape Cod Events Lobster

Live Lobster Trap Web Cam Makes Lobster a Star

Posted on September 6, 2011

 

We now know what a lobster does inside a lobster trap, thanks to “The Lobster Trap Cam” in Halifax harbor.   The live lobster trap web cam was recently placed inside a lobster trap in the popular Nova Scotia fishing town so the curious could go online and watch.  The cam shows the lobster that wander into the trap to have a free meal on the bait and then can’t get out.
Today on the Lobster Trap Cam the lobster in the trap is quite active, facing the camera, snapping the big crusher claw, and pressing itself into a corner.  A large crab moves threateningly from the side of the trap and amazingly, appears to be going after the bigger lobster until the crab decides to leave.  The remarkably clear Canadian harbor water gives web visitors an unusual view of life at the bottom.  Fish, urchins and starfish can be seen passing through the trap.  The picture refreshes every two seconds, with the visiting lobster in the starring role.
A live lobster appears on a web cam on the bottom of Halifax harbor.
The cam is jointly operated by Murphy’s On the Water and Nova Scotia Webcams.  Murphy’s is a Halifax restaurant and tour boat operator. They report that the Lobster Trap Cam is going viral with more than 65,000 hits.
While the lobster in the trap may be a star, the truth is, there is little chance that this particular lobster will end up in a hot pot.  A spokesman for the webcam said the lobster are pulled up in the trap and released after “three or four days.”  So while this one will get away, rest assured there are plenty more lobster where this one came from, and many of those lobsters will end up on a stove.
Much of the lobster eaten in the UScomes from Canada.  In fact, the lobster industry is just as important to the Nova Scotia economy as it is to the Maine economy.  It has been no secret that lobster fishermen this year are again hoping for a record catch.  According to state of Maine government data collected from the fishermen, landings were weak in the spring due to the cold weather but now appear to be catching up.  Maine lobstermen landed a record 94.7 million pounds in 2010 so that is the mark to beat in 2011.
One of the reasons that Mainelobster is so abundant is that many of the lobster’s natural enemies are no longer around in any numbers, according to Robert S. Steneck, a marine biologist at the University of Maine.  For example, Cod fish, which eat baby lobster, are largely gone from the ecosystem.   Facts that lobster fisherman are not sad over.  Dr. Steneck is quoted saying that reintroducing Cod fish to the ecosystem would be like “bringing the wolves to your flock.”
While the curious may watch the Lobster Trap Cam, September is a busy time for the lobster industry, with the Labor Day Holiday setting the pace for increased demand.  This time of year, “Shedders,” or soft-shell lobster, are popular with local folks in Maine and Massachusetts. Hard Shell lobster is stronger than soft shell lobster and lives longer out of water so they can be shipped further.  Live lobsters can also be shipped right to people’s homes anywhere in the US thanks to an online lobster service.
Now, thanks to the Lobster Trap Cam and home lobster delivery, a family sitting at a dinner table in Kansascan enjoy a meal of fresh Maine lobster while watching the lobster’s cousin cavort on the web for Lobster Trap Cam.

© Wayne Howe 2011

Boston and Cape Cod Events Lobster Maine

June 15th is National Lobster Day

Posted on June 2, 2011

 

June 15, 2011 is National Lobster Day. So foodies everywhere, let’s celebrate. Whether the lobster is grilled, steamed or baked, the result is always going to be the same:  Absolutely scrumptious. 
National lobster day is the prefect day to host a lobster clambake at your house.  Invite all the Dads and Grads, the neighbors and the rest of the family and cook up a storm.  Start your own tradition.
For New England, the lobster clambake has been a tradition longer than America has been a country.
History tells us that the Pilgrims watched Native Americans gather lobster, clams, mussels and fish and prepare them on the beach.  The Native Americans dug a sand pit and lined it with hot rocks and coals. They added the lobster and clams to the pit and covered them in fresh, wet seaweed and more hot rocks, steaming the lobster and shellfish in seawater.
 
Lobster Clambake   Source: M. Cellania
 If digging a clambake pit is not your thing, just go ahead and get a big pot and steam or boil them.  They will be just as delicious.
What to look for in selecting live lobster to prepare?  Most important, make sure they are fresh.
 Everyone knows the world’s best lobster come from Maine and Massachusetts.   But what good is that if your table is in Kansas?   Don’t worry; you don’t have to go to Maine.   There is a service on the web that will deliver live Maine lobster right to your front door anywhere in the United States.  Order your lobster with all the best seafood the cool, crisp waters of the Atlantic Ocean can offer.
For a more intimate celebration, start your dinner with some fresh Oysters from Cape Cod.  Serve the oysters paired with chilled champagne or white wine, a good Chardonnay is best.  Follow up with jumbo shrimp cocktail. Steam the lobsters, and crack the claws and tails ahead of time with a large knife to make eating easier.  Serve with butter and lemon on the side. Don’t forget the candles.
National Lobster Day celebrates the fact that lobster is the largest of all the seafood harvest in New England.  Popular world wide and known as a delicacy, Lobster makes any occasion more fun.  So let’s celebrate.

© Wayne Howe 2011

Boston and Cape Cod Events Maine

Maine Lobster Season Casts Off with Hopes of Big Catch

Posted on May 10, 2011
Dawn Greets Lobster Boat Hauling Traps

Hauling traps at dawn (Courtesy LobsterfromMaine.com)

The day after Mother’s Day is the unofficial start of the Maine lobster season, when just about every lobster boat fit to go to sea, goes to sea.  Last year’s 93-million-pound record catch will be hard to duplicate this year, but folks in the industry see plenty of signs another great Maine lobster season is ahead.
Already reports from Maine shrimpers and other observers are showing large numbers of baby lobster showing up uninvited in their nets.  And near shore, lobster fishermen report they are seeing high counts of baby lobsters in their traps. The little guests (baby lobster) are returned to the sea to grow, but their high numbers suggest a healthy harvest this year.

A sunny warm spring helps to warm the shoreline waters which brings the adult lobster back in to feed where they are easier to catch.   So the warmer the spring, the faster lobster fishing season gets off to a start.  For lobster lovers awaiting their barbecues and lobster clambakes, the start of the lobster fishing season is always good news.

One challenge facing the lobster industry is the high price of fuel and bait.  High fuel prices and bait take a bite of the profits for the fisherman.  At the same time, fishermen fear that high gasoline prices leave folks less money to spend on going out to dinner, on vacations and for just plain buying lobster.  So the fishermen hope for both a good harvest and a strong market.  
To help manage supply and demand,  the lobster dealers load up during peak fishing season  by storing freshly caught lobster in large, natural seawater lobster pounds capable of holding millions of pounds of lobster.  This allows lobster fisherman to catch lobster while they are active in the summer and fall, and still meet market demands year round.
The Lobster Trap Co. operates four pounds and two buying stations located in Machiasport and Steuben Maine, providing access to 4,000,000 pounds of live lobster.  These subsidiaries are known as BBS Lobster Trap. In addition, the company operates numerous storage facilities throughout Canada providing holding capacities in excess of 2,000,000 pounds.   The Lobster Trap Company’s Cape Cod shipping facility offers more than 100,000 lbs of holding capacity.   Located in Bourne, MA the state of the art facility has fresh ocean water flowing through refrigerated tanks and returning to the ocean cleaner than when it came in. 
All of this ensures Lobsters-Online.Com customers the freshest supply of healthy, live Maine lobster ready to be shipped overnight to homes all across the country.  With lobster fishing season going into high gear, Lobsters-Online.Com will continue to offer all the best seafood value New England has to offer.
© Wayne Howe 2011