PORTLAND — More than a half-century ago, federal Judge Edward T. Gignoux looked out at the jurors inside the U.S. District Court in Portland and told them they had a decision to make.

Did the widespread decision by Maine lobstermen to tie up their boats during the summer of 1957 stem from, as the judge put it, "a mutual agreement or understanding to refrain from hauling their traps until a better price for their lobsters could be obtained"?

Or, Gignoux continued, did the tie-up represent "individual actions by the fishermen resulting from decisions independently arrived at by each individual concerned"?

The jury chose the former -- and in doing so found the lobstermen and the fledgling Maine Lobstermen's Association guilty of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Fifty-two years later, the lobster market has tanked once again. And once again, there's talk of leaving the boats at the dock.

Or not.

Standing near their 40-foot lobster boat Bushwacker on Portland's Custom House Wharf this week, husband-and-wife team Larry and Crystal Dunne said yes, they'd heard the news:

Over the weekend, lobstermen in faraway Washington County called for Maine's 6,000-plus boat lobster fleet to shut down until the "boat price" for lobster rises from its rock-bottom low of $2.35 per pound in the Down East region. (The boat price in Portland, while closer to $3 per pound, is still more than a dollar below last summer's price.)

The Dunnes, who live in Saco and fish year-round to support themselves and their three children, said they are barely breaking even these days by the time they pay for their bait, fuel, dock fees and other costs of doing business. And while they'd consider leaving the boat at the dock for a while "if other people were doing it," they said, they'll believe that when they see it.

"I'd be surprised," said Larry, who's been fishing since 1992.

"Wicked," added Crystal, who's worked the stern for the last six years.

In other words, a lot has changed since 1957.

Back then, the tie-up was targeted at a small cartel of Maine seafood dealers who controlled the lobster market from the bottom up.

Today, it's not that simple.

Talk to the lobstermen, and they'll tell you they're bearing the brunt of the worldwide economic downturn while the wholesalers and retailers -- especially those restaurants that are still raking in as much as $35 for a boiled 1-pounder and an ear of corn -- continue to profit handsomely.

"I don't know of any lobstermen who are happy," said Crystal. "People are starting to get behind on their bills."

Added Larry, "There's a sense among the lobstermen that the dealers are in cahoots with each other."

Talk to the wholesalers, and they'll tell you the global recession has decimated demand for Maine lobster meat – particularly among Canadian seafood processors who can't give the stuff away – leaving Maine with plenty of lobster but far fewer places to ship it.

"It's purely supply and demand," said Peter McAleney, owner of Portland's New Meadows Lobster and president of the Maine Lobster Dealers Association. Right now, he said, "there's just no demand for this much supply."

Talk to the restaurateurs, and they'll tell you that, yes, that high-priced lobster plate is still on the menu. But they'll also tell you that this summer's record rains haven't exactly produced a bumper crop of tourists.

"It's unfortunate, because (the lobstermen) work really hard," said Heather LaRou, general manager of the Porthole Restaurant on Custom House Wharf (where a lobster dinner goes for $28). "But they've seen some pretty high times as well."

Then there's the Maine Lobstermen's Association, which essentially organized the illegal tie-up back in 1957. When it comes to work stoppages these days, the association has no choice but to look the other way.

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