Lobster Pound, Hancock

Lobster pounds are fenced off areas of water where lobsters can be stored while awaiting transportation or a better market. In this 1926 view of a Hancock, Maine, lobster pound, the fence can be seen; men in the foreground are netting up lobsters which can be stored in compartments in the float they are standing on to make them easier to retrieve for shipping. Many lobster pounds are quite large and need boats so that the operator can get around. Here they have a few dories and also a winch set up to help haul in a net. When this photo was taken the pound handled over 250,000 lobsters per season. Today's pounds ship internationally and can handle orders like 25,000 for a summer weekend at the Rockland Lobster Festival.

Photograph from the Atlantic Fisherman collection.