Lobster Life: Sibling Entrepreneurs See Trade Turmoil As A Business Edge

As co-founder of Lobster Boys LLC and a fourth-generation lobsterman, Justin Maderia has seen firsthand how global trade tensions ripple through local economies.

With the U.S. seafood market generating over $31 billion annually—and relying on Canada for more than two-thirds of its imports—tariffs and shifting trade policies are a critical concern.

The erratic nature of the trade situation doesn’t help, either. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump threatened exorbitant tariffs on China, 145% on April 10, only to slash them to 30% a month later. Whatever ends up sticking, Maderia hopes there’s a chance to build a more resilient, transparent, and self-sufficient seafood industry.

Maderia, who launched Lobster Boys — stylized as Lobsterboys — with his brother, Travis, shares his insights on the evolving U.S.-Canada-China seafood trade, the hidden upsides of tariff pressure, and how their company navigates change while staying true to its roots. The following has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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BZ: What was wrong with the fishing industry before and what are some of the different trade dynamics that have opened up?

Maderia: The fishing industry has long been a battleground of geopolitics, shrouded in fog—middlemen, opaque pricing, and zero traceability. Recent shifts, like the rollback of U.S.-China tariffs, aren't a return to the old ways; they're a wake-up call. Trade flows are recalibrating, and at Lobsterboys, we see a golden opportunity in the chaos. Disruptions expose the cracks in traditional supply chains—fragile, bloated, and unreliable.

As China's market reopens, big exporters are learning they can't bet everything on one buyer. Lobsterboys is built differently, sourcing directly from fishermen, championing full transparency, and delivering quality. This is our moment to seize domestic partnerships directly with chefs and home cooks and redefine what seafood can be.

How has Lobsterboys been affected by the on-again-off-again tariffs?

Tariffs always grab headlines, but what they really do is expose the deeper problems in our food system. In seafood, we've been relying on bloated, opaque supply chains for decades—layers of brokers, exporters, and overseas buyers that disconnect the people who catch the food from the people who eat it. When something like a tariff hits, that fragile system starts to crack.

For us, the disruption actually highlighted the value of a different approach—one that's more local, more nimble, and more direct. We buy straight from trusted fishermen in both the U.S. and Canada and sell directly to North American consumers. So while others were scrambling to adjust, our model stayed intact.

There's also a seasonal shift happening: Spring marks the beginning of peak lobster season in many key fisheries. That increase in supply typically brings down prices, which softens the blow of any tariff-related cost changes. So yes, tariffs have been a headache—but they've also created space for change. They've forced the industry, and consumers, to rethink where their food comes from.

As for the global seafood market, will there be a surplus as trading routes from exporters change?

In the short term, yes—surpluses can pop up when exporters lose access to major markets like China. The seafood supply chain isn't always quick to adapt, especially when it's designed for volume, not flexibility. But seafood is perishable, so the market corrects fast.

The deeper issue isn't about excess—it's about misalignment. Supply and demand often don't meet efficiently. That's where direct-to-consumer models shine. They reduce waste, shorten the time between harvest and plate, and eliminate the guesswork of where the product should go. Surplus is a symptom. The real problem is a system that wasn't built to be responsive—and that's exactly what needs to change.

Is the seafood industry becoming more sustainable?

It's starting to, because it has to. Consumers are asking tougher questions. They want to know where their seafood comes from, how it was caught, and whether it supports coastal communities. That's progress.

There's more use of technology now—digital catch tracking, QR codes, and third-party verification—but real sustainability goes beyond that. It's about creating a system that's accountable at every level. That means fair wages for fishermen, environmentally responsible harvests, and eliminating fraud and relabeling.

We believe sustainability and transparency go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. Our goal is to build a seafood supply chain that actually respects the ocean, the people who work it, and the people who rely on it for food.

If you could talk to Trump about trade, what would you say?

We'd say: President Trump was right to shake up the status quo. For too long, our food system—and especially seafood—has depended on foreign markets and broken supply chains that left American fishermen vulnerable and American consumers disconnected.

Tariffs may have caused short-term disruption, but they've forced the industry to take a hard look at where things weren't working. That disruption created opportunity—specifically, the opportunity to bring more of the seafood supply chain back home. When we strengthen direct relationships between harvesters and consumers, we keep more value in the hands of fishermen and we make the system more resilient.

What we need now is to keep building on that foundation. That means investing in infrastructure that supports coastal economies, rewarding transparency, slashing and implementing proper regulations and ensuring fair pricing for the people who work the water. This is how we secure our food future—by standing behind fishermen and empowering consumers to know their lobster and know their lobstermen.

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Image: Courtesy of Lobster Boys