Nancy Griffin reports on the troubled US and Canadian east coast lobster fisheries. In the region that produces most of the world's saltwater lobster, preliminary landings of Homarus americanus for last year appear to be lower than 2004 landings for both the US and Canadian fisheries, and while figures will rise before totals are finalised, experts do not expect them to match the previous year's. Overall, the resource appears strong and healthy, although some areas are in steep decline and new management and stock assessment regimes will pose challenges. Preliminary figures for Maine, where most of the US lobsters are landed, are 29,868 tonnes valued at 305 million dollar compared with 32,115 tonnes valued at 285 million dollar in 2004.
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