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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Can federal trade policies reverse the fortunes of Maine's lobster industry?

By William Boger
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NO

China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports have affected demand, but longer-term challenges for Maine's lobster economy lie beyond the reach of trade policy.

Warming ocean temperatures fueled a 20-year boom in lobster populations in waters off Maine and Canada, by 2016 making lobsters a $1 billion commodity in North America. Growing global appetites for a luxury menu item sustained prices. The lobster catch in Maine has declined since, with 2019's preliminary figure down about 23% from 2016. Scientists studying marine conditions say decline is likely to continue as waters off Maine may become too warm for lobsters to thrive.

China's tariffs of up to 37% have raised lobster prices there, while the coronavirus has hurt the restaurant trade all over Asia and North America. The White House has said it may offer relief to the industry.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Maine: Lobster 'landings' since 1880
News Center Maine: Lobster demand in China
Portland Press Herald: Scientists predict Maine’s lobster boom will end within 5 years
Wiley: Ecological Society of America journal article on American lobster harvest
White House: Memorandum protecting the lobster industry
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.