(10-6-09) David Cousins, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, says he’s concerned by the findings of a recent scientific study that calls for drastic cutbacks in catch limits for herring – the main source of lobster bait. These cutbacks, he says, will mean the indusrtry will run out of bait by August next year.
"If that’s the case we’re going to be crippled because most of our landings come in after the middle of August," Cousins said.
He says the industry is facing at least a 50 percent cut in lobster bait caught in the gulf of Maine. By next year, he adds, the amount of herring available to the lobster industry would be barely a third of what it was in 2007.
"Last year we were allowed 44 thousand metric tons, which was down from 60 thousand metric ton 2 years ago, so we’ve already taken a third and now we’re being asked to cut it in half again," said Cousins.