Stories are starting to come out of Maine saying the fisherman want the state to step in and do something about the prices.

Apparently because of the warmer winter, and warmer water the molting happened a month and a half earlier than usual. Soft shell critters can't be shipped as far, so they usually get $2 a pound or so less at wholesale.

Currently, softshells are only getting $1.50/lb wholesale (though others quoted say that number is not real it's a bit higher), supposedly according to one of their congressmen, anything less than $2 or $2.50 and they can't make a profit on them.

Early in the season Canada had a huge catch (which is why prices have been low for months) so the processing houses are all backlogged and can't take the ones being caught in Maine now. They can't ship them very far, they can't sell them to the processing houses whose freezers are full, so they are dumping them at whatever price they can get.

The state can not legally shut down the lobster industry as some of the fisherman have asked, but some people have said they won't go out and bring more in at these prices.

"The department will not be closing the lobster fishery," Keliher said. "Based on the concerns that have been raised by the industry, I have reviewed our statutory authorities and they do not allow us to shut down the fishery for economic reasons.

"We have heard that fishermen are seeking to impose a de facto shutdown of the fishery and coercing others into complying by threatening to cut off their gear," he said. "The state will not tolerate any trap molestation, and any such actions will be met with targeted and swift enforcement or other appropriate action. Harvesters should also be aware that such actions may be in violation of federal antitrust laws."

All I can add is Yummie