Record catches aren’t necessarily great for lobstermen.

對捕蝦人而言,近來的銷售業績不算太好。

In 2012, Maine caught 126 million pounds of lobsters, which at the time was off the charts. Prices promptly plunged.

在2012年,美國緬因州的漁夫們捕獲了1億2600萬噸龍蝦,這在當時是破紀錄的成績,然而龍蝦的價格卻遭遇了劇烈下滑。

The luxury crustacean that typically retails for around $18 a pound was suddenly “cheaper than deli meats.”

這些零售價一般為18美元一磅的奢美大蝦一夜之間成了廉價的滯銷貨,價格“比熟肉還便宜”。

So desperate were lobstermen to offload their supply that lobster were selling for as little as $1.25 a pound—even though the break-even point is roughly $4 per pound.

捕龍蝦的人實在太絕望了,為了清空存貨,他們把龍蝦賤賣到1.25美元/磅,然而盈利底線卻是4美元/磅。

Last year, Maine lobstermen landed around the same volume they had during the catastrophic glut of 2012.

This time, however, prices per pound were comfortably above the break-even mark.

不過,今年每磅龍蝦的價格卻令人十分欣慰,漁夫們可以收支平衡啦。

So how can Maine’s docks be crawling with lobsters without dragging down prices? It’s (mostly) thanks to China.

不靠拉低價格,緬因州是如何讓大批大批的龍蝦登上碼頭,游向四海八荒的吃客的呢?這(大部分)歸功于中國!

Back in 2010, China accounted for about 1% of US exports of American lobsters, by value.

By last year, that figure had leapt to 15%.

然而到去年為止,這個比值已經猛增到了15%。

China is now the US’s second-biggest American destination for lobster exports, after Canada.

如今,中國已經是美國龍蝦出口的第二大輸出國,輸出份額僅次于加拿大。

However, the 2012 price crash had one big upside.

In the rush to unload soft-shell lobsters before they spoiled, lobstermen and dealers began shipping them live to China.

Once the new trade channels had been established, live lobster shipments to China continued to climb, nearly tripling in value last year.

這條新的貿易線一經拓定,銷往中國的活龍蝦的數量就一路攀升,到去年產值幾乎增長了兩倍。

As demand has picked up, a slew of vendors have taken to selling Maine lobsters via online platforms, such as Tmall, Alibaba’s Amazon-like retail site.

Tellingly, they’re selling them under the moniker “Maine big lobster,” not Boston. Chinese consumers may be half a world away, but now they know where the good stuff comes from—and how to get it.

他們還給自己的產品取了一個響亮的名字,不是“波士頓龍蝦”,而是“緬因州龍蝦”。中國的消費者們遠在半個地球之外,不過現在他們已經知道這些美味的龍蝦從何而來了——也知道去哪兒買到它們。