NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Maine's lobstermen are working harder for less, as demand drops for their expanding harvest.
Lobstermen pulled in a robust 76.3 million pounds in 2009, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. That's the largest harvest in years, according to state records and estimates, but only in terms of volume.
The 2009 take was worth $223.7 million, which is about $22 million less than the prior year, according to the department. State statistics show that the harvest has dropped in value, year-to-year, since 2005, when it totaled nearly $318 million.
As with most things, the recession is to blame. Cash-strapped consumers are avoiding delicacies such as lobsters, driving down the overall price, according to George Lapointe, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
"I think it's largely a function of supply and demand, and the world economic condition," he said. "Lobster is a luxury product."
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