The minimum size of lobster caught and sold in the United States is about to make two significant jumps in the next four years and the Canadian lobster industry is still figuring out the impact it will have.
As of January 1, 2025, the minimum carapace size of lobsters sold in the U.S. will increase from 82 millimetres to 84 millimetres. By 2027, this number will again increase to 86 millimetres. Lobsters below these set sizes caught in the U.S. must be thrown back, and lobster being exported to the local market must also adapt.
These new live lobster regulations, according to Geoff Irvine, Executive Director of the Lobster Council of Canada, will result in a larger amount of “chix” lobsters that can’t be sold live across the southern border.
“Dealers will need to carefully grade and not ship anything undersized in crates to their U.S. customers. This will mean that they will have more chix-sized lobster that they need to sell elsewhere,” said Irvine in a written response. “Nobody can say what this will mean exactly but we will need to find a home for that small size. Live lobster packed in 30 lb boxes that are shipped out of U.S. airports will not be affected as they are kept in bond when they enter the U.S.”
According to Irvine, the changes will see less lobster caught in the U.S. overall, which he said could impact the amount of lobster being processed in the summer and fall compared to previous years.
By the beginning of 2029, a maximum lobster size of 165 millimetres will also be put into effect. This, too, may have ramifications on cross-border trade that Irvine said the industry will need to take into consideration.
“It is too early to predict what it all could mean, and the gradual phase-in should help smooth out any negative impacts, but it seems clear that we will have a change in typical supply by size that all will have to adjust to,” said Irvine.
