PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Prices for Maine’s most beloved export are much higher than typical right now because of high demand and the possibility that fishermen are having a slower season.

Maine lobsters usually become less expensive over the course of the summer because of the increase in catch off the state’s coast. But this year, wholesale prices that typically fall to the $8 or $9 per pound range during the summer never fell below $10.50. Consumers are paying in the $15 per pound range now. That’s about a third more than a year ago, and twice the price from some previous summers and early falls.