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Diane Cowan, The Lobster Conservancy
The arguments raised in your
editorial, "Allowing lobster sales could help Fish Exchange" (Nov. 10),
that "Lobstermen don't like the idea, but it's already being done -- just
not in Maine" are flawed. Maine should not follow the ill-advised
practices of other states or adopt weak federal regulations.
Managers of the Fish Exchange are
seeking to allow groundfishing vessels dragging for lobsters offshore to
keep and sell their lobsters at the exchange.
Dragging inflicts great harm to
lobsters and lobster habitat, but not in Maine -- where dragging for
lobster is prohibited. Maine laws protect lobsters, lobster habitat and
the lobster industry -- an integral part of Maine's economy.
Draggers working offshore can take 100
lobsters per day and up to 500 lobsters per trip, which does not translate
to 100 pounds per day or 500 pounds per trip.
The number-of-lobster limit encourages
groundfishermen to target the largest lobsters. Instead of landing 100
one-pound lobsters weighing in at 100 pounds, the largest lobsters are
kept to increase the number of pounds landed.
Protecting large lobsters is critical
to the future because a three-pound female lobster produces as many eggs
as seven one-pound lobsters, and a five-pound lobster produces as many
eggs as 14 one-pound lobsters. Larger females produce healthier offspring
and mate more often.
Without upholding strong Maine laws --
including no dragging for lobsters and no harvesting of large reproductive
stock -- we can't replenish the lobster population.
Lobster catches were down last year --
even here in Maine. We must protect our Maine lobster fishery.
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