The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is celebrating its ninth annual National Lobster Day on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

“It’s a time to celebrate the lobstermen that are out on the water every day catching lobster and bringing it to market for us,” said Marianne LaCroix, executive director for Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. 
 
The celebration comes as Maine Lobster Week kicked off across the state Sunday and will be running until Sunday, Sept. 29. The day was moved from June to September to align with the peak lobster harvesting season.

The Senate passed a resolution in 2015 officially recognizing the day and the economic impact of the industry.

According to LaCroix, 80% of lobsters in the United States comes from Maine. There are more than 5,000 licensed lobstermen in Maine that catch roughly 90 million pounds of lobster every year, bringing $1 billion to the state’s economy.

“It really isn’t just a job for them. It’s a way of life,” said LaCroix.

Bruce Fernald, 73, of Cranberry Island is a lobsterman of 51 years and a sixth-generation lobsterman.

“The lobster industry has always been in my family,” said Fernald. “My father was a lobsterman; I was and now my grandsons are following suit. The lobster industry helps make Maine what it is today, and I’m proud to have helped make a difference in our great state.”

Visit the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative’s website for more information.