J'ai trouvé cela en internet:
"Remember, there are almost no landings of lobsters after January 1 and most live lobsters at this time of year are sourced from lobster pounds where they’re ranched; or found in lobster tubes; which is actually a controlled hibernation-storage mainly done in Canada. Pounding of lobsters is tricky and fraught with danger because lobsters are cannibals with very poor manners. Tubing lobsters is almost always successful for around 90 days if you have very hard shell lobsters with a protein level above 11%. Frankly, there were very few of these lobsters in the December Canadian catch especially the big ones; which means there were very few of them in the tubes. So, according to the old law of supply and demand prices are at record highs for all lobsters and the overseas markets are willing to pay these high prices with their valuable Euros. Unfortunately, the situation will only get worse before it gets better."

Je suppose qu'il s'agit de homards d'élevage. A vérifier.

je n'ai trouvé cette expression de 'tubes' que pour les calmars et autres seiches, mais peut-être est-ce la chair du homard toute préparée pour ne plus avoir qu'à la trancher...

Squid Tubes
Just the tubular body already cleaned ready to cut into rings,or stuff and cook whole. Quite a high water glaze to retain the quality and flavour.
http://www.martins-seafresh.co.uk/Shopping/shopexd.asp?id=11...

D'après mes recherches, il semblerait que ce soit un mode conservation des homards, dans une sorte de boîte métallique ou quelque chose comme cela. En fait, ce n'est pas du homard frais qui vient d'être pêché, je pense.

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Note added at 2 hrs 49 mins (2005-05-02 09:40:31 GMT)
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Ou plutôt dans notre contexte des \"boîtes de homards\"