Mainers hauled in a record-setting 75.6 million pounds of lobster last year, but it’s likely that landings will rise, thanks to the Legislature’s decision to end the state’s prohibition against lobster processing.

By this summer, rules will allow knuckles, claws and tails to be processed and preserved as specialty food items. Those licensed to fish for lobster will have a whole new market to serve, and a reason to fish even when demand for fresh lobster is slack.

Officials made a reasonable judgment that a change in the rules would help the economy and not deplete lobster stocks. One reason for optimism is that a large part of Maine’s catch is already processed. According to the Associated Press story, much of Maine’s catch is shipped to Canada, where it is processed and sold as a Canadian product.

The market in Maine may be slow to develop. For those who can readily buy live lobster, it’s hard to imagine paying for a lobster claw pickled in brine and spices or a carton of frozen lobster tails. Local fleets are likely to continue to deliver plenty of live lobsters to local markets and the crustaceans will continue to thrive under sound management.

Yet a lot may depend on the rules drafted by the Department of Marine Resources to implement this experiment. The trick will be to improve prosperity for the lobstering community, without setting off a rush that endangers a well-managed resource.

The goal should be to allow this new market to evolve slowly. Any boom in landings and prices would be reason for concern.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.