Lobster, before it was famous

Lobster wasn't always considered a luxury.

In Colonial America, lobsters were once so plentiful that they were considered a "poverty food," served to prisoners and indentured servants. At one point, some Massachusetts servants rebelled, ultimately including a clause in their contracts that they wouldn't be forced to eat the crustacean more than three times per week.

As late as the 1940s, lobster could be found in abundance in Canada and New England. Impoverished kids would trade lobster sandwiches for peanut butter and jelly in school cafeterias.

Since the middle of the 20th century, though, lobster rose in the esteem of American diners, and market prices followed suit. From 1950 to 1969, per capita lobster consumption nearly doubled. The cost outpaced inflation, encouraging more people to join the lobstering industry.

Source: Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Mother Jones

Graphics

If there were a shellfish social hierarchy, lobster would likely be at the top of the heap. Normally expensive, live ones are often reserved for special occasions.

Shrimp would probably be further down in this hypothetical hierarchy. Still a delicacy, they're normally served en masse as an appetizer.

But thanks to a combination of unusual circumstances, shrimp is about to have its diva moment.

Worldwide shrimp supplies are tightening due to the spread of something called early mortality syndrome (more on that later) through parts of Asia. At the same time, record numbers of lobsters have been landing on Maine's docks. The result: Lobstermen are receiving rock-bottom pay for their hauls, while shrimp suppliers are scrambling to fill new orders at a cost that keeps creeping higher.

Orange County seafood lovers may have to pay a premium for shrimp this fall. Wholesale prices have risen from around $3.70 per pound in September 2012 to more than $6 per pound in recent weeks. The price per pound for frozen, raw and peeled extra-large shrimp ranged from $13.99 to $15.99 last week at the Whole Foods in The District at Tustin Legacy.

Don't expect too much of a break on lobster, though. Living thousands of miles from Maine's affordable bounty carries a cost. And Pacific lobsters sell for a much higher price, because they're highly prized in China and other foreign markets.

“After a decade of explosive growth, the global farmed shrimp industry has reached a turning point,” proclaimed a recent report by Rabobank, which specializes in banking services for agriculture. Titled “Shrimp in a Crimp,” the brief detailed how the outbreak of early mortality syndrome in the world's three largest producing countries – China, Vietnam and Thailand – is responsible for the industry's largest ever contraction in supply and record prices.

The disease, which doesn't affect humans, is caused by bacteria and can completely wipe out shrimp farms, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It's commonly believed to have started in China in 2009. A similar scourge has hit some parts of Mexico, but it hasn't been officially confirmed as early mortality syndrome.

“One of two things are going to happen over the next couple months,” said Andrew Gruel, chef and co-owner of Slapfish, a modern seafood shack in Huntington Beach. “The cost is going to get passed down to the end user. You're going to see the price of shrimp on plates go up two, three or four dollars (per plate) … or you're going to see the restaurants take the hit, eat the price and hope that the market kind of softens.”

Slapfish, which recently advertised its spicy Oregon bay shrimp roll for $11.50, hasn't had to raise prices yet, Gruel said. It buys directly from fishermen and locked in tens of thousands of pounds of frozen shrimp a little while ago. Slapfish is still taking advantage of the lower cost.

Even so, Gruel will try to absorb the eventual increase in price by focusing on the average annual cost of shrimp rather than each individual spike and drop.

“We're willing to take a hit at one point as long as we can make up for it later on down the road,” he said. If shrimp prices dive next year, he'd keep his prices stable and make up the difference.

“We can't just keep changing the prices on our menu. Consumers get used to a particular number,” Gruel said.

Just across San Pedro Bay, Michael Ungaro, co-owner of the San Pedro Fish Market, is grappling with what the price spike might mean for his frozen shrimp meals sold in supermarkets.

“From January to now, the price (to make them) has gone up almost 80 percent,” Ungaro said. “The grocery stores exist on a different type of margin. They're really sensitive to every nickel and dime.”

While supermarket and restaurant owners may be wringing their hands about how to get enough shrimp this fall, Maine fishermen have been hauling a glut of lobsters out of the Atlantic over the past couple of years.

The number brought to shore and sold rose from slightly fewer than 70 million in 2008 to more than 126 million in 2012, reports to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. 2013 figures will be released next year.

The large catches may be due to a combination of factors: Warmer water temperatures could be spurring a longer growing season; fewer predators, such as cod, are around to eat the crustaceans; fishing gear has improved; and more fishermen are on the water.

Depending on the quality of lobster, wholesale prices dipped as low as $2.20 per pound in August on the East Coast, reported the Portland Press Herald.

Prices advertised in Orange County grocery stores recently ranged from a sale price of $5.99 per pound for a live “U.S.A.” lobster at H Mart in Irvine up to $18.99 per pound for a live Maine lobster at Bristol Farms in Newport Beach.

San Pedro Fish Market Co-Owner, Michael Ungaro shows off the "World Famous" shrimp tray including two lobsters and two garlic breads. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER
Maine lobsters for sale at the San Pedro Fish Market, which sells an average of 200 pounds of live lobster a week. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER
More than 50 pounds of shrimp on sale at the San Pedro Fish Market. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER
From right, Maurilia and Cynthia Gastillo carry out the "World Famous" shrimp tray from the San Pedro Fish Market. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER
San Pedro Fish Market Co-Owner, Michael Ungaro shows off two live Maine lobsters for sale in his market. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER
Jakov Kordic shucks oysters at the San Pedro Fish Market. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.