Saving Seafood

Despite threats from fellow fishermen, lobstermen press Mass. to allow ropeless fishing in closed areas

February 1, 2022 — The lobstermen viewed themselves as trailblazers, even calling themselves “Pioneers for a Thoughtful Coexistence.” That was before fellow fishermen threatened to burn their boats and accused them of trying to steal their catch.

In an effort to prove that there’s a way for their industry to resume fishing in coastal waters where Massachusetts banned lobstering to protect endangered whales, they have asked regulators to allow them to set their traps without vertical buoy lines. Those heavy ropes, which connect traps on the seafloor to buoys on the surface, have entangled large numbers of North Atlantic right whales, scientists say, seriously injuring or killing the critically endangered species.

If the state approves their proposal, which has received support from right whale scientists and environmental groups, it would be the first time commercial lobster fishing would be allowed without buoy lines in any state waters.

“I’ve been trying my best to get our guys back fishing,” said Michael Lane, 46, a lobsterman who fishes 800 traps out of Cohasset. “I’ve seen so much taken away from us, for years; it’s nice to finally have the chance to see something going in the right direction. This could be a win for the fishing community.”

To protect right whales, some areas along the coast, such as Cape Cod Bay, have since 2015 been closed to lobster fishing between February and May, when large numbers of them feed in those waters. As the decline of the whales’ population has accelerated — scientists estimate their numbers are down 30 percent in the last decade — federal officials pressured the state to act. As a result, state officials last year expanded the three-month ban on traditional lobster fishing to most of its coastal waters.

“I do not expect to issue a decision for a few more weeks,” said Dan McKiernan, director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

He declined to comment on whether he’s inclined to permit ropeless fishing. “I am still gathering information from staff and considering the extensive comments,” he said.

After years of protesting the annual closures, officials at the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association urged McKiernan to reject the pioneers’ proposal, arguing that it could lead to “catastrophic” conflicts with other fisheries.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Weak rope in short supply as deadline for whale-friendly gear draws near

January 28, 2022 — Lobstermen elsewhere in New England will have to join their Massachusetts counterparts in using weakened rope or special inserts to weaken existing trap rope beginning in May to help protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The rope and the in-line links, which must break under 1,700 pounds of pressure to help marine mammals break away if they become entangled, need to comply with rules mandated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The problem is the rope is short supply.

For Massachusetts fishermen, the required 3/8-inch red and white “candy cane” and 5/16-inch red weak rope manufactured by Rocky Mount Cordage Company in North Carolina, one of two rope makers approved by NOAA, is available only at Rose Marine in Gloucester for those north of Boston or through Ketchum Trap in New Bedford for those south of Boston.

“I know they’re out of stock in Maine, and I just filled an order for the 3/8 rope and sold out,” said Steve Germain of Rose Marine, 375 Main St., on Thursday. “I still have the 5/16 red rope, but the red and white is on back order.” He said he had no estimate on when new stock would arrive.

Lobstermen on Cape Ann and elsewhere in Massachusetts have been using the weakened rope for the past year and a half, said Beth Casoni of the Massachusetts Lobstermen Association.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Baby whale genetic testing may help save species, study says

January 27, 2022 — Greater reliance on genetic testing of baby whales and their mothers can provide more accurate information about a rare species and increase the chances of saving them from extinction, according to the authors of a new scientific study.

The scientists, led by researchers at the New England Aquarium in Boston, studied critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which there are fewer than 340 in the world. Their numbers have dropped precipitously in recent years because of high mortality and poor reproduction.

The study’s authors analyzed decades of data about the whales and found they had more success tracking the animals’ survival, growth rates and life histories when they had access to genetic samples. They published their findings in the journal Mammalian Biology on Jan. 20.

The scientists focused on 13 right whale calves that were identified via genetics. They said they were able to determine the age of 12 of the whales and match 11 with their mothers — and even found that four believed to be dead were actually still alive.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Washington Post

Maine lobstermen could soon face another new gear regulation

January 26, 2022 — Lobstermen could soon face a new regulation that state officials say would be designed to protect future lobster populations. That comes as the industry is under pressure to comply with a slate of other recent rules that aim to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Maine’s lobster landings saw an unprecedented boom during the 2010s, but that’s dropped off some in recent years. And Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the state’s Department of Marine Resources, says recent research shows that the number of juvenile lobster floating in the water column or settling to the bottom is declining for a third year in a row.

“We’re starting to pick it up in ventless trap surveys,” Keliher says. “We’re picking it up in settlement. These are tough conversations, they are very tough to have at a time when we’re dealing with the whale issue.”

To protect right whales from entanglement in trap rope, federal regulators recently imposed a four-month closure of a thousand-square miles of prime fishing grounds off Maine to traditional lobster fishing, and they are requiring some potentially costly gear changes as well.

Now Keliher says that lobstermen should also consider another new rule — to create a “trigger” mechanism for reducing the catch of juvenile lobster when their abundance falls below a certain level.

Read the full story at Maine Public

MAINE: Worries grow as deadline for whale-friendly gear draws near

January 24, 2022 — Lobstermen will have to start using weakened rope or special inserts to weaken existing rope beginning in May in some waters to help protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

But the rope and links aren’t yet readily available, causing consternation among lobstermen seeking to comply with the rules.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources has received numerous complaints that there isn’t a sufficient supply of approved ropes or the plastic links, a spokesperson told the Bangor Daily News.

The department plans to notify federal regulators of the problem so they’re aware of the potential compliance challenges.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Portland Press Herald

Maine lobstermen can’t find gear to comply with new federal regulations

January 19, 2022 — Chebeague Island lobsterman Jeff Putnam has been on the hunt for small plastic links that will meet new requirements set to go in effect this spring to help protect right whales.

Starting on May 1, lobstermen, depending on where they fish, will have to add inserts that will weaken their ropes or use ropes that are rated to break at 1,700 pounds of force to comply with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulations to help protect the endangered species.

The links are designed to weaken the fishing ropes that run between his buoys and lobster traps. But Putnam and other lobstermen say that they can’t find the gear they need to comply with the new rules, leaving them uncertain how they will proceed.

“I haven’t seen them at any stores yet,” Putnam said.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

MAINE: Future looks dire for lobster fishery, coastal economy

January 18, 2022 — The federal government has signaled its intention to nearly eliminate rope fishing for lobsters over 10 years, but the entire fishery may be closed even sooner than that, according to Pat Keliher, Maine Department of Marine Resources commissioner.

The reason: to save the endangered right whale.

Fishermen say there aren’t any right whales in the Gulf of Maine. The government not only says that there are, but recently announced they’re dying off even faster than previously thought.

“We think the threat of the closure of the fishery is increasingly significant,” Keliher said at a virtual Lobster Advisory Council Meeting on December 15.

He said the lobster industry faces multiple perils.

Read the full story at the Penobscot Bay Press

Maine intervenes over lobstering rules to protect whales

January 5, 2022 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources has been granted intervenor status in a federal lawsuit brought over new lobstering restrictions intended to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a new set of rules for the lobster fishery last summer with a goal of reducing the entanglement risk for the remaining 336 North Atlantic right whales.

But Maine’s governor said that it’s misguided to impose restrictions on the state’s signature seafood.

“There’s never been a known right whale mortality associated with the Maine lobster fishery, and there have been zero known right whale entanglements associated with Maine lobster gear in almost two decades,” said Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Future of Maine’s lobster industry to be decided in federal court

January 5, 2022 — The new year could bring about big changes for Maine’s lobster industry. Two lawsuits are scheduled to be heard in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., involving a federal proposal to protect North Atlantic right whales. The outcome could determine when, where and how lobstermen can fish off the state’s coastline.

“If you take one of the largest-earning industries away from Maine, we’re already in a position where young people continue to move away because there aren’t enough jobs or good paying jobs and if you go ahead and eliminate more of them, you will lose more and more assets in the state,” says Chris Welch, a full-time lobsterman from Kennebunk.

The 10‐year whale protection plan proposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service would close more than 950 square miles of fishing grounds, about 30 miles off Maine’s coast, to traditional lobster fishing.

The proposed regulations also would require lobstermen to make numerous changes to their gear, and to when and where they are allowed to fish based on when right whales are believed to be in the area.

Read the full story at Spectrum News 1

Maine joins lawsuit on right whale regulations

January 4, 2022 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources has joined as an intervenor in the Maine Lobstermen’s Association lawsuit challenging NMFS restrictions on lobster gear to protect North Atlantic right whales.

A Dec. 30 announcement from Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ office said “NMFS acted arbitrarily by failing to rely on the best available scientific information and by failing to account for the positive impact of conservation measures already adopted by the Maine lobster fishery.”

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association lawsuit in Washington, D.C, federal court challenges the NMFS biological opinion on right whales issued in May 2021, the agency’s response to federal court rulings that whale protections so far have failed to meet requirements of endangered species and marine mammal laws.

NMFS has put on new regulations for using lobster traps and their vertical floating lines to buoys that the agency and whale experts see as a serious threat to the survival of the right whale population, estimated at around 360 animals.

Read the full story at National Fisherman