What if Maine lobstermen could protect
1 billion lobster eggs in a single summer?
​That's the idea behind the Billion Egg Challenge—a coastwide competition celebrating one of the lobster fishery's most important conservation practices: V-notching egg-bearing female lobsters.
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From Kittery to Cutler, Maine lobstermen are joining one of three regional teams to compete to see which can protect the most lobster eggs. Every V-notched lobster counts toward the team's total, and every week the leaderboard will track the race toward our billion-egg goal.
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Not a lobsterman? Support The Challenge for a chance to win Free Lobster for a Year!​
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Entering is easy. Lobster fans are invited to support a favorite team and follow the leaderboard on social media. Supporters of the winning team, and anyone who makes a donation, will be entered to win Free Lobster for a Year!
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The challenge runs from July 1 through National Lobster Day on September 25. At the finish line, the winning team will earn bragging rights, the championship "Motha Notcha" trophy, and the title of Billion Egg Challenge Champions.​​​
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V-NOTCHING MATTERS!
V-notching is about tradition, conservation and heritage. This simple but powerful act ensures that Maine’s lobstering heritage continues, one V-notch at a time.
Every V-notched lobster is an investment in the future of Maine’s lobster fishery and concrete assurance that the fishery will remain strong for generations to come.
If we all work together, we CAN protect 1 billion eggs!
V-notching by the numbers:
10 Million More Lobsters!
Preserving 1 billion eggs has the potential to add 10 million more lobsters to the population. Only 1% of eggs survive to harvest size.
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Halfway to Target Lobster Population!
Scientists estimate there were 201 million lobsters on bottom in 2025 and set the goal to reach 229 million lobsters.
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One V-notch = 6 years!
A 1/4" notch in a lobster tail will take at least 3 molts to disappear—that's 6 years in human time.
Make Zero Tolerance Matter!
Not all lobstering areas have zero tolerance. Females with a 1/4" V-notch are 100% protected from harvest in any U.S. lobster fishery after 1 molt and 3/4 are still protected after 2 molts!
Size Matters!
An average female Maine lobster carries about 10,000 eggs. Larger lobsters can carry over 100,000 eggs!
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9x More Eggs!
V-notched females can produce up to 9x more eggs compared to a lobster that does not get a V-notch.
To learn more about the history and importance of V-notching visit www.vnotch.info
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
