Oil and Lobsters

Clawing at your wallets lobsters and oil are a "duh" when it comes to being popular oil and lobster are very similar. Both consist of a pricing structure many know little about except how little sense it makes.  Conflict in Lybia caused our oil at the pump to increase overnight at an alarming rate.  Let's talk hypothetically and say Lybia's 1-2% of market will affect the United States. That more expensive barrel will not hit the pumps for at least a month. Why does this allow a price hike immediately?  On the positive side at least with home heating oil on a domestic level and boat fuel on a commercial level can offer a price lock in on a contractual basis.

Moving to Lobster the same rule applies except, believe it or not, is much more vague.  There is never any real shortage of lobster, having worked as a lobster man I know this as a fact.  Boat price will fluctuate between 2.50lb and 5.50lb throughout the year while a lobster dinner at a restaurant remains the same. A harbor that catches 12000lbs one week and 8000lbs the next during the month of August will most likely be offered the same price per pound selling to the lobster pound. 

Lobster man are partially responsible for being taken advantage of, my question is why are we not treating this like a real commodity? Futures? Price lock ins? A real market price affected by the market?

The difference between oil and lobster is the entire lobster industry takes place right here and can be changed with appropriate measures.  How can we as businessmen take advantage of this market?  Lobster is a relatively new market with a lot of room for more money to be made. 

CEREAL BOX FACT: 93.1 million lbs of lobster brought to market in Maine alone last year.  A catch that has increased every year for the last ten years.