The Maine Lobster Promotional Council invites you to attend this media tour in September 15^th and 16^th.  You will venture out on a lobster boat to learn how lobsters are harvested.  Enjoy the many ways our chefs and food purveyors have creatively crafted amazing lobster dishes.  It goes well beyond just boiling the lobster and includes dishes such as 555’s Lobster Mac and Cheese that is a delectable dish.

You will meet Diane Cowen, who has been studying lobsters for more than 25 years. While most people prefer their lobsters bright red on a plate with lemon and butter, Cowan is one of a dozen researchers in Maine who have devoted their lives to a better understanding of the American lobster in the wild. Not only have they put Maine on the map for their research, but they are also working to ensure the future of the state’s most lucrative fishery.

Come and experience Maine in September to explore the fall lobster harvest season.  Explore the mystic rocky coastline of this gorgeous state while learning how these tasty crustaceans are harvested.

Many people associate Maine with summer lobster bakes but don’t realize that the fall is prime time for  harvesting lobster.  Maine harvesters catch approximately 50% of the total annual harvest in September, October and November of each year.  October is often the month with the largest harvest.

In 2009, Maine harvesters caught more than 75 million pounds of lobster, with October alone accounting for 14 million pounds.     This represents approximately 20% of the harvest in a single month.

Maine catches approximately 80% of lobster landed in the U.S.  Lobster represents about 70% of all seafood caught in Maine (by value). This has all been possible because of Maine’s initiative to manage the industry through state government regulation for more than 100 years.  Today Maine is one of the most regulated fisheries in the world.

The value of the lobster industry to state tourism has not been documented, although it is considered one of the top three attractions by the Department of Tourism.

If you are interested in being apart of this media tour please contact Angie Helton from Northeast Media Associates at nema@maine.rr.com or 207-653-0365.  The tour will be limited to ten writers based on credentials.  Please be prepared to provide past articles printed.  Thank you.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 5:11 pm in the IFWTWA blog "IFWTWA Media Trips, Totally Food Wine & Travel". You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.