As Americans enjoy a diverse and delicious diet, the idea of sustainability is turning into a key part of the decision. Ultimately, despite some products being available all year round, more and more households are looking into choosing seasonal ingredients to enjoy the best flavors and also cut down on waste. The same thought should apply to seafood, which is a huge market in the US.
Indeed, lobsters used to be a luxury treat, but now they are a staple at backyard BBQs and coastal-style cooking. In fact, lobsters are so loved that the market is coming in at around $3.82 billion in 2024 and is expected to carry on growing.
Americans love lobsters, but with that kind of growth, you want to make sure you are making the best choice for the planet, too. Ultimately, with ocean temperatures warming and marine habitats shifting, seafood lovers have an important responsibility. So, which lobster delivery service is actually committed to doing the right thing?
Here's a list of 5 online lobster companies that have made sustainability their priority, ensuring you get to enjoy lobster without harming the environment.
Maine Lobster Now: The Best Overall for Sustainability on US Lobster Orders
Maine Lobster Now sets the benchmark for sustainable, top-notch lobster delivery. With roots in Maine, this family-owned business has taken the time to figure out how to do it right. Maine Lobster Now arranges for lobsters to be delivered straight from local lobstermen and Alaskan fisheries, making sure the food they send is exactly what they claim it is:
- Wild-caught
- Never farmed
- With the clean taste of the cold waters it comes from
Every lobster is harvested directly in the Gulf of Maine and carefully handpicked for quality. Lobsters are shipped fast and still fresh in specially designed boxes to avoid freezing them. The purpose here is to reduce waste.
One thing that sets them apart is the approach to the supply chain, where every single order can be tracked from the boat to your doorstep.
Pros:
- Real wild-caught seafood that can be traced
- Zero-waste packaging and speedy delivery
- A wide range of responsible and sustainable seafood options beyond lobsters
Cons:
- Sustainability drives higher costs
- No international shipping
Cape Porpoise Lobster: Brilliant for Small Local Catches
This company operates directly in the coastal village, Cape Porpoise in Maine. They keep things uncomplicated and focus on fresh, local, and sustainably caught lobster, delivered from the local docks to your door.
This small and family-owned business has teamed up with local lobstermen to help support Maine's working waterfront. They also ensure the use of traditional fishing traps, which it designed to help maintain the health of the lobster population in the region. The local focus is a plus for sustainability and community ties. However, it comes with challenges as Cape Porpoise Lobster runs small operations.
Pros:
- Strong Maine community ties
- Traceable lobster caught sustainably
- Small-scale business for low environmental impact
Cons:
- Can only cater for small order volumes
- No other seafood product
Get Maine Lobster: Good for Direct Door-to-Door Delivery
Get Maine Lobster brings an innovative digital twist to sustainable seafood delivery. Based in Portland, the company cuts out the middleman by working directly with local lobstermen to get wild-caught lobster and other quality seafood delivered to your home.
They work hard to tackle all the key sustainability questions with each order, so you know where, when, and how your lobster was caught. Customers can also get to pick a subscription box in the size of their choice, which comes with meal kits inspired by top chefs. This ensures you can enjoy your lobster, and you can also get ready-to-cook dinners, so there's less preparation and more food joy in the end.
However, while the focus is on ensuring you can trace your lobsters from the moment it was caught to when they get to your plate, the convenience of subscription boxes comes with compromises. Ultimately, on the one hand, prepared kits help reduce waste. But on the other hand, the subscription boxes generate more packaging, which isn't ideal for sustainability in the long term.
Pros:
- They work with Maine's lobstermen
- Flexible and practical subscription services
- Full transparency on food provenance
Cons:
- A little pricy as a result of focus on quality and branding
- A lot of packaging
LobsterAnywhere: The Industry Veteran in Fresh Delivery
For over 20 years, LobsterAnywhere has built a reputation as one of the top names for live lobster home delivery. The company has always put a big emphasis on freshness and reliability, with the mission to ensure their customers constantly receive premium quality lobster in the best condition, regardless of whether the delivery is intended to be in the US.
Here again, the orders are packed carefully in cold and insulated containers that are shipped overnight, so you get that just-caught taste. However, it's worth mentioning that while freshness is key to their marketing messaging, sustainability is not as much talked about. LobsterAnywhere's long-standing relationship with top fisheries in ~Maine that prioritize responsible harvesting partially answers this question.
Pros:
- Two decades of experience in lobster delivery
- Track record of delivering super fresh lobster the next day in the US
- Perfect for gifts
Cons:
- Little emphasis on sustainability focus
- Limited seafood selection: only lobster
James Hook & Co for Heritage Seafood Tradition
James Hook & Co is a Boston-based company with a lobster tradition since 1925. With a century of history, it's fair to say the family-owned company is long established and expert at delivering that classic, fresh catch feel.
Lobsters are caught along the New England coastline and then sent as live lobsters and lobster meat nationwide. The focus here is on traditions and lobster heritage, so sustainability is not at the forefront of their communication. However, that doesn't mean they are not deploying sustainable strategies, as they rely on local sourcing to limit their environmental impact.
Pros:
- 100 years of lobster experience
- Fresh seafood
- Long-established company
Cons:
- Packing and shipping may seem old-fashioned
- Less emphasis on sustainability
Final Thoughts
There's no denying that receiving quality fresh lobster is a must when you order seafood online, and all these companies deliver on the promise with various levels of sustainability involvement. In 2025, no online lobster delivery service in the US can afford to ignore sustainability, so it is a part of the operations of each of these brands. The right choice will depend on your priorities and expectations.
