BajaNomad - Lobster Season Suspended in Asuncion!!

Lobster Season Suspended in Asuncion!!

shari - 10-29-2008 at 08:21 AM

All the lobster traps are sitting on the shore this week as lobster season has been suspended in our area. The international economic crunch is affecting our villages. Apparently the lobster prices in China have dropped so low, it isn't economically feasable to fish for them until prices go up again. Darn, I havent even had a lobster yet this season!This is devastating for a village that depends on this fishery economically.
Does anyone know if they are lobster fishing in Abreojos and other villages? or is it just our coops here?

Paladin - 10-29-2008 at 08:59 AM

Sorry for the bad news. If my memory is any good, I seem to remember that Juan is in the abalone coop and I hope they had a good season. Sorry about the other folks.

And yes, I'll get my lazy butt in gear and do my trip report.

My best to Juan and Shari

Iflyfish - 10-29-2008 at 09:00 AM

It is hard to sit out even a few days of this important season. It must have been very hard to come to this conclusion. I feel sorry for those whose livelyhood is dependant upon this resourse. On the other hand I commend the Coop for their long range vision in protecting their market and product. This will of couse mean bigger bugs when they can be taken. I admire the people of Asuncion for banding together in this way. This is the time when courage and resolve are tested. Lets hope for a better market in time. This too will pass.

Iflyfish

Stickers - 10-29-2008 at 11:04 AM

It is hard to imagine making a profit selling to China?

Baja lobster could be flown up to So Cal in 2 hours where they are nearly worth their weight in gold.

I'm sure it is a complicated arrangement with regulations and all, but it doesn't seem to make sense?

:?:

oldlady - 10-29-2008 at 11:21 AM

Lobster made news in the last couple of weeks because of huge supply in Maine and diminished demand globally. You can google for the articles.
Part of it is people not eating what is perceived as luxury food and part of it is that Canadian processors can't get the liquidity to buy up the huge amount they usually do.

Cypress - 10-29-2008 at 12:04 PM

They'll just grow bigger and become more plentiful.

Bruce R Leech - 10-29-2008 at 12:18 PM

in Mane they are selling lobster for less than Bologna.

Frank - 10-29-2008 at 02:13 PM

Too bad they cant truck some bugs up to San Diego. I'll eat them til my feet swell up.

mtgoat666 - 10-29-2008 at 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by whistler
Although this problem is due to the world economic crisis.

It is all George Bush's fault, and his feeding greed of Wall Street :fire:

Obama will fix it! :bounce:

Bob and Susan - 10-29-2008 at 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
in Mane they are selling lobster for less than Bologna.

and that's right from the horse's mouth... :lol:

comitan - 10-29-2008 at 05:30 PM

Not funny, just the fact.

Bruce R Leech - 10-29-2008 at 06:26 PM

to bad they wont sell them to Mexican markets for the same as they give them to china :no:

55steve - 10-29-2008 at 07:19 PM

I'm catching plenty of bugs hoopnetting here in San Diego! Had it for lunch and actually getting tired of it.

BTW Maine lobster fisherfolks are being paid $2.53/lb which makes it hard to justify fishing for them. I've seen reports of live Maine bugs here in San Diego at $4.66/lb.

Good news is that fuel is down sustantially locally ($2.59 in Santee).

Sure hope the Baja folks market comes back - darn tough on the small guys.

Stickers - 10-29-2008 at 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve

BTW Maine lobster fisherfolks are being paid $2.53/lb which makes it hard to justify fishing for them. I've seen reports of live Maine bugs here in San Diego at $4.66/lb.

It's still at least $50 for a lobster dinner here in L.A.

shari - 10-29-2008 at 07:45 PM

I tried to buy lobster for some visitors last week and it was 385 pesos a kilo!!! which is like one lobster!!! outrageous...they were like $10 last year. I heard today that the whole area was shut down till the day after the Day of the Dead.

dao45 - 10-29-2008 at 08:07 PM

sheri a couple of days after we left the season opened in ErendiraNot sure how long it was but some of the fisher men said it was the first time in 4 or 5 years they had an open season on the lobster

Hook - 10-29-2008 at 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
I tried to buy lobster for some visitors last week and it was 385 pesos a kilo!!! which is like one lobster!!! outrageous...they were like $10 last year. I heard today that the whole area was shut down till the day after the Day of the Dead.

Well, then that must have been black market pricing or a gouging. How could the price in Asuncion triple in one year and it not be economically feasible to trap them, especially since fuel prices in Mexico are relatively flat?

Skipjack Joe - 10-30-2008 at 09:06 PM

Sounds like fun. Wish I could come along.

805gregg - 10-31-2008 at 07:36 AM

I was in Bahia de Tortugas a couple of weeks ago and one of our crew members bought 13 lobsters for $200 US. I told him it was too much, but ate some anyway. The guy that got the lobster for him said the price was so high because they were shipping them to Japan and got good prices for them there.

Hook - 10-31-2008 at 07:40 AM

:?:

shari - 10-31-2008 at 07:54 AM

hey Gregg..that's pretty cheap as it works out to around 154 pesos each lobster which like half of what I was quoted here. Yeah, I thought it was really strange that the price jumped so high so fast too.....but looks like they will have to lower it now to reflect the market prices. I heard today they might start fishing lobster again next week....we'll see. Meanwhile, lots of folks are asking to lend money to see them through...offering to give the papers on their fancy trucks in exchange for loans....selling properties cheaper etc.
It also appears that the BIG deal on selling all the ejido land from Tortugas to San Jauanico has been shelved too....so all those ejiditarios with $$$ signs in their eyes are bummed.

shari - 10-31-2008 at 08:52 AM

I was thinkin...if the coop is fishing for sardines every day to use for lobster bait...will this affect the fin fish fishery becasue of less bait around? hmmm

DSC00656.JPG - 48kB

Cypress - 10-31-2008 at 12:55 PM

Those are frying-size sardines.

Hook - 10-31-2008 at 02:21 PM

Economics in the lobster cooperatives is in a different dimension.

[Edited on 10-31-2008 by Hook]

[Edited on 10-31-2008 by Hook]

55steve - 10-31-2008 at 04:44 PM

A buddy of mine is in the seafood wholesale biz and he told me that live California spiny lobster is going for about $38/lb plus air freight to Japan - been going like this for years. I'm surprised the Baja co-ops can't get in on this.

Frank - 10-31-2008 at 05:20 PM

How much is that, in Lumpia? :biggrin:

55steve - 10-31-2008 at 06:32 PM

Good one Frank! I've been found out I suppose...thought I was being incognito...

Frank - 10-31-2008 at 10:08 PM

Secret is safe with me :lol:

Tomas Tierra - 11-1-2008 at 01:41 PM

In Oxnard/Santa Barbara area the season started out strong at$14 per pound..I heard some guys squabling about pricing the other day on the radio.. It's down around $8 pp now with very strong amount of product..

Cypress - 11-1-2008 at 01:51 PM

It's looking like the price of lobster/lb. is getting close to the price of chicken/lb.

I'm gonna just stick with mud bugs, they taste better and don't cost as much.