Yes, I've heard that early settlers used the seabug as fertilizer rather than eat them...never looked into the tale though.
"While ancient, Middle Age, and Rennaisance people appreciated many aspects of the lobster, they did not retain their popularity with the more modern Europeans and Americans. Along the northeastern coast of the U.S., the lobster was once so common in the 17th and 18th centuries that it was considered a "junk" food. When caught in great quantities or stranded on shore after severe storms, lobsters served as garden fertilizer and as a food staple given to widows, orphans, servants, and prisoners. It was so commonly used as a food for servants and prisoners that Massachusetts passed a law forbidding its use more than twice a week - - a daily lobster dinner was considered cruel and unusual punishment! The American revolutionaries hurled the insult "lobsterback" at the red-coated British. It wasn't until the 19th century that lobsters regained their status as a luxury food item, mostly as a result of their popularity with royalty. Since that time, lobsters have become big business and, as a result, have been well studied. These studies have revealed that there's more to these creatures than meets the eye - - or even the palate!"
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