April 2009

The Story behind Each Catch of Lobster

Who doesn’t love lobster? The truth is there is more to be told behind each catch of lobster.

Since last year, Honduras has a sad tale about its lobster industry. The huge US market has decreased its demand for this seafood delicacy.

The industry is in a bad situation because of decreased lobster population, slashed profits, and struggling workforce. Each of these factors has continuously been going up in severity each year.

Lobsters for export should measure at least five and a half inches from neck to tail. Falling short of required length, processing plants will not accept them. Honduran waters could hardly produce lobsters big enough for export over the past decade.

The last six months saw lobster prices going down from 340 L to 190 L. Boat owners could not break even with the rising costs of trips to the lobster banks.

The Bay Islands is not the only one hardly hit. Even the northern coast of Honduras suffers the blow. For their harvest, the Miskito lobster divers now only earn 40 lempira a pound. It’s almost a 50 per cent drop from their usual earnings.

Like in any other jobs, lobster diving has its own risk. A diver who suffers the bends, a swimming therapy is advised for proper blood circulation and muscle maintenance. Left untreated, the bends may cause paralysis and even death. Added to the risk is the fact that since the divers cannot afford the high cost of treatments, many divers who suffer from this sickness are left untreated.

Since 1986, industrial lobster diving has claimed 360 lives and paralyzed or disabled more than 1,600 men.

Lobster trapping is the safer alternative but some boat owners still prefer diving. Miskito divers usually bring up the catch for 67 lobster boats.

No more lobsters are found in shallow waters. This means Miskito divers have to search 14 times a day to depths of 90 to 140 feet to get a good lobster harvest.

The Honduran administration and other concerned international organizations have wanted to phase out lobster diving. The business currently employs an estimated 3,400 divers. Due to scarcity of jobs in the area, it is only the sea where they can depend on for a living.

A direct link to the news can be found here