Maine fisheries regulators say lobstermen in the state set a record for the value of the lobster catch for the seventh year in a row.
Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher says Maine lobsters were worth a little more than $533 million at the docks in 2016. That exceeds last year's record total by more than $30 million.
The state also set a record for volume. Fishermen caught nearly 131 million pounds of lobster in Maine last year. That surpasses the previous record of nearly 128 million in 2013.
Maine's lobster catch has been climbing for several years, with the state surpassing 100 million pounds for the first time in 2011. Asian demand for the lobsters has skyrocketed in that time, aiding value.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
