Maine Lobster Harvest Drops 8M Pounds in 2025, Value Down More Than $75M

Maine’s lobster fishery softened in 2025, with preliminary state data showing landings down by roughly 8 million pounds and total value falling by more than $75 million year‑over‑year.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) reported lobstermen landed 78.8 million pounds last year, generating just over $461 million at the dock. The average boat price was $5.85 per pound — the third‑highest on record — but higher per‑pound returns did not offset the volume decline...

Norwegian Seafood Exports Slip in February; Salmon Rises but US Demand Falls Sharply

Norway exported seafood worth NOK 13.8 billion ($1.4 billion) in February, a 2% decline from the same month a year earlier, the Norwegian Seafood Council reported on March 4. Exports for January–February totaled NOK 28.5 billion, down NOK 777 million (2.7%) versus the same period in 2025.

“Lower supplies of shellfish and wild-caught fish due to quota reductions, combined with a still troubled world and trade barriers, are affecting the market, product flows and prices even more strongly than we have experienced before...

Vietnam Tops China's Lobster Imports as Tariffs Shift Market Share

Vietnam has seen strong growth in lobster exports to China, with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) attributing the surge to increased demand from higher-income shoppers.

According to a February 21 VASEP update, China’s lobster imports reached 69,774 metric tons (MT) in 2025, up nearly 9,000 MT from the previous year and marking the highest volume in five years, based on Chinese Customs data.

This growth propelled Vietnam to become China’s top lobster supplier, surpassing Canada, which faced a 25% tariff that contributed to a 15%...

Cousins Maine Lobster Launches First Permanent Food Truck

Cousins Maine Lobster has officially expanded into South Carolina with the launch of its first permanent food truck in the Columbia market. Expana first reported on the company's plan to expand in the Southeast in December of last year.

This venture is spearheaded by long-time friends turned business partners, Dave Blosser and Matt Cobb. The pair are planning to introduce another truck in the Midlands community by 2027. Both Bloseser and Cobb have strong backgrounds in multi-unit operations, team leadership, and customer-focused...

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun Named to Washington Post’s Next 50 List for 2026

Red Lobster's CEO, Damola Adamolekun, has been named to the Washington Post’s Next 50 List for 2026. The list highlights 50 individuals who are “reshaping how America thinks, works, connects and creates.” The publication said those included will define the stories of 2026.

Adamolekun, 36, has already made a significant impact at Red Lobster. He spearheaded a major menu update, including a renewed focus on seafood boils and revamped promotions. He was first named CEO in September 2024, ushering in a new era for the seafood...

Expana’s 2026 Valentine’s Day Index: Lower Lobster Tail Prices Help Pull Meal Costs Down

Expana’s US Valentine’s Day Index is live — and the big story for dinner tables is lobster. The Valentine’s Meal Index (beef tenderloin, lobster tail, potatoes) fell 7.8% year over year and 10.4% month over month, driven largely by softer lobster tail and potato prices.

For frozen North American lobster tails (5–6 oz, EBP), the year-to-date average sits near $19.50/lb, about 18% below the same period last year and well under the five-year seasonal average...

Stone Crab and Lobster Price-Fixing Case: Florida Exec Avoids Prison

Dennis Dopico, the Florida seafood executive who pleaded guilty to price‑fixing stone crab claws and spiny lobster, avoided jail and was sentenced to five years of probation for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Dopico also has a restitution hearing scheduled for April 3, 2026.

Dopico was first indicted by the US Department of Justice in September 2025 for conspiring with competitors to fix seafood prices, as Expana previously reported.

The DOJ alleged that Dopico “knowingly joined and participated in a conspiracy with other persons and entities...

US, Canadian Lobster Fishermen Gather for ‘Cordial’ Conference Amid Volatile Trade Market

Many of the East Coast’s lobster fishermen are in Moncton this week for an annual conference called the U.S.-Canada Lobster Town Meeting.

More than 200 attendees have come from across the Atlantic Canadian provinces, as well as Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts for the event, which alternates location between Canada and the United Stated each year.

“It's the one time of year we get to sit with our American colleagues, everybody at the same table, lobster buyers, exporters, importers, academics, fish harvesters,” said Luc LeBlanc, a fisheries...

Chinese Tariff Relief Offers Temporary Respite for Canadian Lobster Exporters

Canadian lobster exporters are welcoming China's recent decision to lift tariffs in exchange for Canada dropping levies on some Chinese-made electric vehicles, but industry veterans say it doesn't solve the sector's deeper problems of thin margins and a reliance on a few big markets.

It also doesn't change that sellers still have to mostly deal with hard-nosed buyers in China or the United States that take advantage of market forces and prices when they can...

Maine Sea Grant Secures $2 Million for Lobster Research and Partnership Initiatives

The University of Maine has announced that its Maine Sea Grant Program has received $2 million in new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awards.

This support will bolster the University's research and outreach activities within the innovative NOAA Sea Grant-funded American Lobster Initiative (ALI). This initiative aims to bridge gaps in critical knowledge about the species, enhancing the resilience of fisheries. To date, it has funded over 40 projects in partnership with various stakeholders...

GSMC 2026: Shellfish at the Forefront as Tariffs, MMPA and Trade Shifts Reorder Markets

Shellfish suppliers and buyers at GSMC 2026 heard a consistent message from the members of the shellfish panel that was hosted by Annie Tselikis and Expana’s own Janice Schreiber: 2025 was a roller‑coaster year, and 2026 will be about managing volatility, from tariffs and regulatory holds to changing trade flows and pockets of outsized consumer demand. Panelists walked the room through species‑by‑species dynamics, urging versatility on menuing and merchandising as supply and prices keep swinging.

Here's a look at the main takeaways...

Thousands of Lobster Bands are Being Found Along NS Shorelines

This Environmental Group says it's Hazardous

An environmental organization based in the Annapolis Valley says 2026 is the year of the lobster band.

Barely a month into the new year, Scotian Shores — which cleans up Nova Scotia's shorelines — has already collected thousands of the rubber bands that wrap around lobster claws to prevent injuries when handling or to prevent lobsters from damaging each other during storage.

“There's so many of them, like 15,000 is still the tip of the iceberg. We're two weeks into 2026...

Nova Scotia Lobster Industry Surprised, Elated by Suspension of Chinese Tariff

Key players in Nova Scotia’s lucrative seafood industry are applauding Ottawa's successful bid to persuade China to temporarily drop a painful 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster and crab.

Stewart Lamont, managing director of Tangier Lobster Company, said Friday the tariff is responsible for at least a 30 per cent decline in sales of live lobster to China since it was imposed in March.

“From an industry perspective, that additional tariff has been massively impactful in a negative way,” Lamont said in an interview. "Add the cost...

$365,750 Fine, Foreign Worker Ban Overturned Against N.B. Lobster Processor

The Federal Court has overturned sanctions against a New Brunswick lobster processor that had been barred from using the temporary foreign worker program and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In 2024, the federal government fined LeBreton & Sons Fisheries $365,750 and banned it from both the temporary foreign worker and international mobility programs for two years, citing a number of infractions around salaries, holidays, record-keeping and failing to provide a violence-free workplace...

Canada: Understanding Lobster Fishers’ Economic Conditions Through New Study

The lobster industry in the Atlantic region is conducting a survey on economic impacts on individual lobster harvesters.

“This data has never been collected. Even the DFO has never collected it,” said Marlene Chapman, spokesperson for Canadian Lobster Research Network (CLRN).

Chapman said decisions and policies were being made by the government without the information or clear data on the economic conditions of fishers.

She said there was broad support from the industry to launch this project...

UK Is the Latest Country to Ban Boiling Live Lobsters. Could Canada Be Next?

Although a ban on boiling live lobsters is set to come to the U.K., a Canadian fisherman says similar legislation will never pass in Canada.

"Live boiling is not an acceptable killing method," the new guidance unveiled Monday by the U.K. government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says. Alternative practice suggests stunning before boiling lobster; among the measures that countries like Norway, New Zealand and Switzerland have adopted.

The new policy follows a 2022 U.K. law that said invertebrates like lobster, crabs...

China Confirms 25% Tariff Removal on Canadian Lobster, Crab Effective March 1

China’s Finance Ministry confirmed on Friday that its 25% tariff on lobster and crab imports from Canada will be lifted on March 1 through the end of 2026.

The initial trade agreement between China and Canada was announced in mid-January, with an implementation target of March 1. The deal included the elimination of tariffs on snow crab and lobster, as well as on other agricultural products such as Canadian canola meal and peas.

After the deal was first announced, Geoff Irvine, the Executive Director...

Sea Port Products Marks 45 Years, Prepares Return to Seafood Expo North America 2026

Sea Port Products Corp will return to Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston this March, using the show as an opportunity to mark its 45th year in the seafood business.

The Kirkland, WA-based importer and distributor was founded in 1981 by James Dresser and his sons Bill and Don, evolving from a small brokerage into one of the country’s notable suppliers of shrimp and a variety of other seafood species. Sea Port now offers shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, finfish and other products sourced from...

Foodservice Chains Roll Out Lent Seafood Push: AYCE Shrimp, Pollock Tacos and Lobster Sandwiches

As Lent begins tomorrow, the foodservice industry is diving into the seafood wave, introducing fresh options to captivate patrons. Numerous specials and limited-time offers have emerged, as reported by Expana last week, while new promotions continue to surface. We remain committed to keeping the industry informed about the latest seafood innovations and trends throughout this season.

Golden Corral is reintroducing its All-You-Can-Eat Butterfly Shrimp & Steak, featuring tender Signature Carved Sirloin and crispy jumbo Butterfly Shrimp, available for a limited time...

P.F. Chang's Unveils Limited-Time Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Menu

P.F. Chang's is embracing the spirit of love with a special Valentine's Day offering, a limited-time prix fixe menu available from February 12 through February 16 at participating locations nationwide.

For $89.99, guests can savor a five-course dinner for two, combining P.F. Chang's beloved classics with exciting new dishes. (Note: Pricing at New York City's Union Square and Honolulu, HI locations is set at $99.99).

"P.F. Chang's is a place where great food sets the tone for a...

Larry's Catch Secures Investment on Canadian Show Dragons' Den

"Dragons' Den" is a television program in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas and models to a panel of Canadian business moguls, similar to the US hit show "Shark Tank."

On January 22, 2026, Larry's Catch debuted on the show, presenting its vision to make premium, wild-caught, and sustainable Canadian seafood accessible to households nationwide. After sharing their compelling mission and support for Canadian fishing families, co-founders Glen Creaser, James Quinn, and Javier Mejorada received offers from three Dragons.

"Pitching on Dragons'...

Trump Looms as Fear Creeps Into Canada-US Lobster Industry

Donald Trump’s threat on the weekend to tariff Canadian goods 100 per cent if his northern neighbour signs a free trade deal with China was probably as welcome to the local lobster industry as bilgewater.

The U.S. president’s latest broadside came just after the annual U.S.-Canada Lobster Town Meeting wrapped up in Moncton, in anger over a speech Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered about middle powers banding together against larger, stronger nations.

People involved in the highly integrated, cross-border lobster industry...

‘Lobster Lady’ of Maine, Whose Dedicated Following Includes Mark Hamill, Dies at 105

Virginia “Ginny” Oliver, Maine ’s legendary “Lobster Lady,” who spent nearly a century working in the state’s lobster fishing community and built an international fan base that included “Star Wars” icon Mark Hamill , has died at age 105.

Oliver passed on Wednesday, her close friend and author, Barbara Walsh, who wrote a children’s book about her titled “The Lobster Lady” in 2023, announced Friday . No cause of death was revealed...

GSMC 2026: Seafood Volumes Slip in Foodservice, But Sushi, Shrimp, and Deli Items Show Promise

Seafood volumes in US foodservice fell in 2025, with shellfish driving most of the decline, Melissa Rodriguez, VP Perimeter at Circana, told attendees at the Global Seafood Market Conference. Total seafood servings were down year‑over‑year, as a 5.9% drop in shellfish outpaced a 2.1% gain in fish. Restaurants, which account for nearly three‑quarters of total seafood pound volume, saw their volumes decline even as dollar sales increased, a sign that menu price inflation is masking the pullback in consumption...

Cousins Maine Lobster Returns to Charlotte, NC with Grand Opening of New Food Truck

Cousins Maine Lobster (CML), the industry-leading fast-casual lobster roll brand, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its newest food truck in the Charlotte, North Carolina market. This launch marks Cousins Maine Lobster's fourth truck in the state of North Carolina and a highly anticipated return to the Charlotte area, an enthusiastic market with a loyal fan base eager for authentic Maine lobster to be back on the streets.

The Charlotte food truck is led by long-time Cousins...

Cape Breton Seafood Company Calls China Trade Deal 'Major Step Forward'

The owner of a Cape Breton seafood harvesting and processing company says Canada's tentative new trade agreement with China will provide immediate stability and long-term growth potential for the industry.

Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. owner James Kennedy said the Canada-China partnership reached by Prime Minister Mark Carney during a trade mission to Beijing signals renewed momentum for seafood producers after several years of trade friction and uncertainty...

Senator Collins Secures FY 2026 Funding for Maine's Lobster Industry

US Senator Susan Collins successfully secured funding and support for Maine's lobster industry in the FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill. This bill, approved by both the Senate and the House, awaits the President's signature.

Key details include:

North Atlantic Right Whale: $30 million allocated to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for Right Whale-related research and monitoring. Additionally, language in the bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to collaborate with Canada on developing risk reduction measures...

Canada and China Reach Deal to Remove Tariffs on Lobster, Snow Crab by March 1, 2026

Canada and China have reached an initial trade agreement that will eliminate tariffs on Canadian lobster, snow crab, and select agri-food products. The agreement, announced January 16, sets a target of March 1 for China to remove retaliatory duties, reinstating market access after a steep 25% tariff hindered Canadian seafood exports.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the deal would remove trade barriers and “unlock billions of dollars in business for Canadian farmers, fish harvesters, and workers across agri-food sectors...

Winding Glass: Trump Policies of Tariff and Weak Dollar Damaged Seafood in 2025, Likely to Continue 

Tariffs and a weak dollar created artificial seafood supply shortages in the US in 2025. The result: higher prices for consumers, reduced consumption, and a reorientation of global trade flows away from America.

Supply is the ultimate driver of seafood pricing, as any boat captain landing in New Bedford, Gloucester or Maine will tell you. On days with more boats, prices are down.

The same dynamic holds at the stock level. When a population expands or contracts, it changes the...

$400K Costco-Bound Lobster Shipment Hijacked in Cargo Theft

A $400,000 shipment of shelled lobster destined for Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota was hijacked en route, with Rexing Companies claiming the theft was carried out by a driver impersonating a legitimate carrier, in what the company calls a targeted act linked to organized cargo crime rings.

Dylan Rexing, the head of Indiana-based The Rexing Companies, said his company was managing the lobster shipment from a Tauton, Massachusetts facility that was destined for the Costco locations.

“It is pretty safe to say that this...