Maine lobstermen, fishing with rope-connected traps since time began, may be forced by “environmentalists” to go high-tech to access waters made currently off-limits by federal authorities at the behest of whale enthusiasts.
And they’re dubious about a plan to use “ropeless” traps even though it would let them fish in a restricted area.
The plan proposed by federal regulators would allow lobstermen to fish an area that closes seasonally to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.
The restricted area, a 967-square-mile stretch of the Gulf of Maine from the New Hampshire border to midcoast Maine, is closed to fishing annually from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31.
Lobstermen are worried that if the ropeless traps are used in one small area the feds may eventually put a complete ban on rope-connected traps.
The catch is they’re skeptical of the technology that allegedly allows a trap to be brought to the surface with the click of a remote-control button.
Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said lobstermen have essentially been kept out of the loop since the proposed regulations have been under consideration.
Lobstermen are also worried about the significant upfront investment required to switch to ropeless gear, especially given the potential for equipment failure and trap loss.
The association “recognizes the need to protect whales but also emphasizes the challenges associated with ropeless gear.”
“The challenges I see are how much it’s going to cost and whether or not it’s going to work when I need it to,” veteran Stonington lobsterman Jerry Weed recently told WCSH.
The one group that might help the regulators force lobstermen to transition to ropeless traps is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
But PETA has of late actually been busy trying to save the lobsters – not the whales.
