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Patrice McCarron,
Maine Lobstemen's Association
The
Maine Lobstermen's Association disagrees with the paper's Nov. 10
editorial advocating that Maine allow the groundfish fleet to land
lobsters caught as bycatch in draggers ("Allowing lobster sales could help
Fish Exchange").
This
proposal is not a solution to the problems affecting the groundfish
industry and could prove harmful to Maine's $300 million lobster industry.
Despite many sacrifices and severe cuts in fishing days, measures to
conserve the resource have not been successful for several groundfish
species. The industry is also facing some real economic disadvantages
compared to other states such as a high diesel fuel tax and lower fish
prices.
By
contrast, the Maine lobster industry is healthy and sustainable. The
groundfish industry fishes with mobile gear. It is designed to drag the
bottom and catch anything in its path.
The
gear is still not capable of catching only the fish species that are doing
very well, such as haddock or pollock, while leaving behind fish that need
more time to recover, such as cod.
By
contrast, lobstermen use traps that don't harm the habitat where lobsters
live, feed and breed. It also allows lobstermen to return the lobsters
that they are not able to keep back to the sea unharmed.
This
enhances Maine's other conservation measures initiated by fishermen to
protect baby lobsters, breeding females and the oversized lobsters that
contribute to breeding capacity.
Maine's lobster industry has a long history of stewardship and is one of
the few sustainable fisheries in the world.
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