WE ARE PROUD TO SOURCE OUR SEAFOOD DIRECTLY FROM FISHERMEN WE KNOW AND TRUST, AND TO BE ABLE TO TRACE EVERY STEP OF ITS JOURNEY, FROM THE FISHERMAN, TO YOU.

Each morning, lobster, crab, shrimp, clam, and scallop fishermen up along the North-east coast haul traps and nets by hand from the open seas with strict adherence to sustainable fishing practices. With four decades and three generations of experience, we have forged relationships with the finest fishermen in the Northeast and Canada. These relationships guarantee that the seafood served in our shacks and carts honours Luke’s Lobster’s commitment to transparency in sourcing and quality.

SKIMMING THE SURFACE: A GUIDE TO OUR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD PRACTICES

Maine has both minimum and maximum size restrictions for lobsters that can be caught.

Lobstermen throw back female lobsters bearing eggs, and put a v-shaped notch in the lobster’s tail. If that lobster is ever caught again without eggs, it cannot be kept, as it is marked as a fertile breeder.

Lobster traps are required to have juvenile vents, so small lobsters can come and go to get their free lunch without risking becoming lunch themselves at the hands (claws) of a larger lobster.

In Maine, there’s a limited number of lobstering licenses given out to prevent overfishing, as well as a limited number of traps that are allowed to be set.

Fishermen must throw back all egg-bearing females, ensuring that fertile crabs are kept in the population.

Jonah crab may only be caught by fishermen who already hold lobster licenses or were already fishing for Jonah prior to 2015; no new licensees may start fishing.

No more than 200 crabs per day or 500 crabs per multi-day trip can be caught incidentally through other fishing methods.

The Eastern Canadian fishery has a quota for a total annual catch that cannot be exceeded.

Trawling nets used to catch shrimp have a minimum mesh size of 40mm, which prevents juvenile shrimp from being caught, giving them time to mature and reproduce.

Shrimp fishermen must use a sorting grate to ensure that they are not catching other species unintentionally.

Only licensed clammers can catch sea clams, and each one has an annual maximum that they may not exceed.

Sea clams are harvested by hydraulic dredging, which has no significant effect on the seafloor ecosystem.

No clam smaller than 4.75 inches wide can be caught to ensure that juveniles have the chance to reproduce.