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Group spends $3,400 to liberate lobsters


johnnyd

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Five young men and five young women bought $3,400 worth of one-claw lobsters (called "culls") at New Meadows Lobster Pound, Portland, this past monday, with the intention of setting them free somewhere in Casco Bay.

Lobster prices are quite high right now, owing to a local shortage. Retail rate hovers around $15/lb. New Meadows owner, Peter McAleney, says he gave them the wholesale rate, $11.25, for each of his 300 culls.

McAleney said group members talked about "God's creatures" needing to be free, but they weren't antagonistic toward his business.

McAleney said he has no clue who the five young men and five young women were. They realized that freedom would be short-lived for at least some of the lobsters, he said.

"We told them they're going to get caught again and they said, 'That's OK. We just want them to have a chance before they get caught again,'" McAleney said. "I don't know if they go around and free chickens and cows or what."

Bruce Friedrich, national vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said PETA wasn't involved and would never do such a thing.

"We never encourage people to give money to the lobster industry, even if it's for the laudable goal of releasing them," he said.

McAleney said he suggested that the group drop off the lobsters near the B&M baked bean plant in Portland, where they could follow the ship channel out of Casco Bay to Cape Elizabeth.

Full Story - Portland Press Herald - 4/10/07

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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I have no problem with the lobsters being "free."

However,

These people should be locked up in padded cells.

I had to log in just to thank you for a great laugh. You're so right!

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Two of Maine's finest in the same sentence. B&M and lobster. I like that. I admit to being a bit worried about the channel near the B&M plant, though. It sounds a bit like dropping a debutante off for a nice little walk in the worst neighborhood in town.

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Two of Maine's finest in the same sentence. B&M and lobster. I like that. I admit to being a bit worried about the channel near the B&M plant, though. It sounds a bit like dropping a debutante off for a nice little walk in the worst neighborhood in town.

If anyone needs me, I'll be out setting my traps in the mud near the B&M outflow pipe...

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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Actually, Pete said they had Illinois plates.

Now that I think of it, there was a white SUV in front of me on Commercial Street Monday that was clearly lost.

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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a white SUV in front of me on Commercial Street

White vans used to mean "out of state serial killers".

Now it's white SUV's that mean "out of state lobsterhuggers".

....................................

How long does it take for a missing lobster claw to grow back, Johnny? I've become slightly worried about those one-armed babes capacity for survival over there by the B&M factory.

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How long does it take for a missing lobster claw to grow back, Johnny? I've become slightly worried about those one-armed babes capacity for survival over there by the B&M factory.

I can speculate on the duration of claw re-growth but I'd rather get a little research done first. But honestly? I think those bugs will die within hours of re-introducton into that 38 degree water. This is a really, really stupid course of action. I think Pete and others were just being "nice" to these people. This happens all the time: people from "away" (and full disclosure, I am one) think they can dump a bunch of lobster into the ocean and expect them to survive when they know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the dynamics involved... (/rant abatement in progress) :blink:

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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How long does it take for a missing lobster claw to grow back, Johnny? I've become slightly worried about those one-armed babes capacity for survival over there by the B&M factory.

I can speculate on the duration of claw re-growth but I'd rather get a little research done first. But honestly? I think those bugs will die within hours of re-introducton into that 38 degree water. This is a really, really stupid course of action. I think Pete and others were just being "nice" to these people. This happens all the time: people from "away" (and full disclosure, I am one) think they can dump a bunch of lobster into the ocean and expect them to survive when they know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the dynamics involved... (/rant abatement in progress) :blink:

*Ahem*

Okay, now that I've calmed down, I have found out the following:

● Claws regenerate over a period of several moltings. Homarus Americanus molt two to four times a year so depending on conditions like temperature, it's safe to say in two years a new claw appears at about the same size as the original.

● Claws that regenerate can sometimes be deformed. See here for some really weird claw deformities. Also featured is a pic of a just de-trapped lobster holding it's own dropped claw.

● Speaking of temperature, lobster body temperature adapts closely to the seawater around it. It's for this reason I recounted some of the codgers I met downeast reckonings that quick changes in temperature are fatal. Then again half of what they said was suspect. Still, lobsters do move slower in cold water.

● I learned that monster crusher claws (the other being a pincer or seizer), found on male lobsters are extremely attractive to females...

Male lobsters develop proportionately larger claws than females of the same weight once they reach sexual maturity. Sexually mature males boast an enormous crusher claw that is highly attractive to female lobsters.
See "Ask The Lobster Doc" - Nov.2001

● Venturing further into the weird, check out this four-clawed lobster with three on one side. Freak show, man!

-----------------------

Calls around have not pinned down the potential fate of those three hundred lobsters. Speculation ranges widely from "all are certain to perish" to "they'll be in twenty fathom by mornin'". Indeed, in my research I learned that a lobsterman caught the same lobster in 24 hours but three miles away.

So shame on me for waxing so vehemently on the subject without proper back-up. In the spirit of the day, I've decided to suit up my dive gear and meet with the whole team at an undisclosed time and underwater location to express my sincerest apologies which, I hope, they will, but are not expected, to accept.

I said a bad thing. but I am a good person. :wink:

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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