Crustacean Caper: Police Seek Man For Questioning After Lobster Theft In Eastern PA

FORTY FORT, PA — Police in a Luzerne County borough want to question a man about a theft of lobsters from a local grocery store.

Forty Fort Police say someone took the crustaceans from Schiff's Marketplace around 6:11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12. They released a photo of the man they want to question on the department CrimeWatch page.

Police did not specify how many lobsters were stolen, or how much they were worth.

Police ask anyone with information on the theft to call 520-287-8586 ext. 153 for Officer Richard Vaow, who is investigating the crime.

The store is at 900 Rutter Avenue, Forty Fort.

Another thief hit a store at this same address in 2019 for lobster tails, police said. At that time, the building was Maines Food and Party Warehouse.

Lobster prices have increased in recent years but appeared to be leveling off at the beginning of this summer, the Associated Press reported.

The lobster fishing business typically accelerates in the summer when many lobsters shed their shells and reach legal harvesting size. Prices to consumers usually drop when that happens because of increased supply, although last year they remained fairly high.

The U.S. industry is based in New England, especially Maine. Lobstermen in the state had a strong year in 2021, when they caught more than 108 million pounds of lobster valued at a state record of more than $730 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.