PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 13, 2026
Scientific surveys show an uptick in the number of baby lobsters, hinting at a possible rebound coming for one of the nation’s most valuable fisheries. A long-running scientific survey shows the number of young-of-year lobsters found in Maine’s most valuable lobster fishing territory — which includes the state’s top five grossing lobster ports — has been above average for the past two years. The resurgence in baby lobsters off Maine’s central coast, from Friendship to Corea, will not “save the day” for the lobster industry. The young-of-year count is still 44% lower than it was two decades ago, he said, and the warming oceans suggest a long-term downward trend. But the uptick of the past two years is good news for the $528.4 million-a-year Maine industry, even if it only represents the stabilization of a population in a part of the state that depends on lobstering.