PORTLAND, Maine:

There will be fewer claws for Christmas in Europe this year.

Less of the record lobster catches that have been a boon for the American fishing industry are making it onto European tables, where they have long been a holiday tradition, from lobster Thermidor in France to Italy’s La Vigilia, known in America as the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

But a strong dollar and a less-than-festive economy overseas mean a weak year for American shippers like Mike Tourkistas.

Tourkistas said lobster’s status as a luxury item, coupled with a rising price because of competition from Chinese importers and a weak euro, is motivating some consumers to stay away — even if they can afford it.

“Nobody wants to be seen with a lobster claw hanging out of their mouth when the economy is really suffering,” said Tourkistas, who is based out of Topsfield, Massachusetts.

Canada and the export the same species of lobster to Europe — the American lobster, known for its big, meaty claws and popularity with summer tourists to the northeastern New England states. European waters have their own species of lobster, which has evolved as a cultural totem for generations in Europe. Eugene Delacroix’s nearly 200-year-old painting, “Still Life With Lobsters,” hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

Exporters started shipping large amounts of lobster to Europe in the early 1980s when airspace became available, Tourkistas said, but it has been a popular food item on the continent for centuries. Lobster is popular in stew in Spain, stuffed in the shell with gruyere as lobster Thermidor in France, and with risotto in Italy. (AP)