Lobster shortage sends prices soaring as high as $49 per lobster roll

A lobster shortage is driving prices up, with lobster rolls costing as much as $49 at some restaurants. (iStock)

Getting your hands on a lobster roll might be a bit trickier than usual as a shortage of the shellfish has caused prices to soar.

Due to a combination of international demand, bad weather in the Northeast and frozen fisheries in Canada, lobster prices have skyrocketed to as high as $15 a pound in the Northeast, nearly double the cost of last year, the Boston Globe reports. That price is even higher for the pre-shucked meat chefs buy for rolls, which is currently selling for around $40 per pound.

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After surveying menu prices around Boston, the Globe found the cost of many lobster dishes to be outrageously high. A lobster roll, which typically sells for around $24 in the area, was going for as much as $49 at one restaurant. Another restaurateur claimed he was losing money on each lobster roll he sold.

The paper reports that lobster prices are seasonal, with March and April being the worst months in terms of pricing. This year has been especially bad as the windy wet weather that came along with several Nor’easters resulted in fewer fisherman on the water. Additionally, federal law limits the number of boats allowed to enter Maine’s lobster fisheries, resulting in heavier reliance on Canadian fisheries, which have also been affected by winter weather, according to the Globe.

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Luckily, these high prices will likely decrease as the temperature rises. Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, expects the cost to be around $6 a pound by summer, the Globe reports.