Information
Until
the early 1800s, lobstering was done by gathering them
by hand along the shoreline. Lobstering as a trap fishery
came into existence in Maine around 1850. Today Maine
is the largest lobster-producing state in the nation.
Though the number of lobstermen has increased dramatically,
the amount of lobsters caught has remained relatively
steady.
Smackmen first appeared in Maine in the 1820s because
of increased demand for lobsters from the New York and
Boston markets. Smackmen were named after their boats,
a well smack. Smacks were small sailing vessels with a
tank inside the boat that had holes drilled into it to
allow sea water to circulate. The smacks were used to
transport live lobsters over long distances.
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