The Maine Attorney General's Office won't say whether or not it's investigating allegations of price-fixing, as summonses to dealers obtained by "The Working Waterfront" indicate.

The Maine Attorney General's Office has launched what appears to be an investigation into allegations of price-fixing by Washington County lobster dealers. A spokeswoman for the office declined to confirm or deny the investigation. Kate Simmons said there is no information the office can share "at this time."

But three Washington County dealers told the midcoast publication "The Working Waterfront" that they received summonses this month from the attorney general. The Working Waterfront says it saw a copy of one summons, dated November 2, which asked the dealer for documents and communication about their purchase of lobster and other shellfish since June of 2008. The summons requested that the documents be produced by November 23. It is not clear how many other dealers received the summons.

According to this summons, the Attorney General "is investigating whether shellfish dealers in certain regions of coastal Maine have engaged in practices constituting one or more agreements in restraint of trade or commerce in any market for shellfish sales and distribution in the State of Maine," the paper reports.

One summonsed dealer, who asked The Working Waterfront not to identify him, told the publication that an official in the AG's office indicated that fishermen in the area had complained about the price they're getting for their catch. "Supposedly we're not paying enough or whatever," the paper quotes the dealer as saying.