Lobster populations in a large swath of the Atlantic Ocean have declined so much that biologists are recommending a five-year ban on catching lobsters south of Cape Cod down to Virginia to allow the stock to bounce back.
The proposal is the most drastic of several options that will be considered in July by a multi-state commission that regulates fishing of coastal species in the Atlantic, and it is drawing strong objections from lobstermen.
Bill Adler, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, said he opposes the proposal because it would put hundreds of fishermen out of business. Waters farther north, where most of New England's lobsters are trapped, are unaffected, because the populations there remain healthy.
Lobstermen and some scientists believe warming waters, possibly due to climate change, have allowed disease and infections to overtake lobster populations off southern New England, killing many and pushing others farther offshore into deeper, cooler waters.
Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.