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Photo: Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn
Right before Maine Lobster Week (Sept. 19-25) and National Lobster Day (Sept. 25), the Maine lobster industry was dealt a heavy blow: Monterey Bay Aquarium’s trustedSeafood Watchprogram—which rates seafood as a best choice for sustainability (green), a good alternative (yellow) or a type to avoid (red)—downgraded American lobster to the red list.
The issue? Lobster traps sit on the ocean floor and a rope draws a vertical line up to a buoy on the surface, marking its location. And entanglement in fishing gear like this is theleading cause of death for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The controversial move provoked a strong response from state leadership, including Governor Janet Mills and Representative Chellie Pingree, whopenned an open letterto the board of Monterey Bay Aquarium, questioning the science behind the decision and calling for a reversal of the rating.
A Complicated Battle in the Gulf of Maine Threatens to Take Lobster Off the Menu
Lobster caught in the Gulf of Maine is not the only crustacean of concern. All American lobster caught along North America’s East Coast, along with Jonah crab (often caught in the same traps as lobster), are now red-listed as well. But nowhere is lobster so ingrained in identity than in Maine. The Maine lobstering community sees the red label as an affront, as they have been working hand-in-hand with conservation groups for years and have made several improvements.
Also, the Gulf of Maine has a history of sustainable management of its seafood stocks and a reputation for good fishing practices. Local groups are leaning on this reputation to assert that they are and have always been asustainable fishery. But the facts remain: One, that vertical ropes spanning the depth of the ocean endanger right whales; and two, that the Gulf of Maine contains the vast majority (an estimated 87%) of these ropes on the Eastern Seaboard.
The question remains: how can these targets be met while allowing lobster fishing to thrive? A promising strategy ison-demand or ropeless gear, which utilizes geolocation to mark traps which have an inflatable buoy (or similar device) that will float to the surface only when activated, decreasing the amount of time vertical lines are in the water. This technology is very expensive, but more importantly, it is not yet available to fishermen. “It’s not like it’s something that’s sitting on the shelf at their local fish supply store and they’re just being grumpy about buying it,” explains LaCroix. And a whole new system will have to be in place for marine control to be able to regulate this type of equipment.
In the meantime, other solutions include closing areas of ocean for specific periods of time, increasing the number of traps attached to one line, decreasing the overall amount of ropes that can entangle whales and utilizing weaker ropes or weak spots in ropes that whales can break should they become entangled. Some Maine lobster fishers have adopted these measures, but the court has ruled they are not enough to mitigate right whale risk.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is holding meetings with people in the New England lobstering community to discuss how right whale entanglement risk reduction targets can be met. “It’s a really critical time for their voices to be heard,” says Kemmerly. “I really wish the energy was directed at the federal government to bring the fishery back into compliance with the law, instead of distracting folks. There really needs to be focus right now.”
Scientist Amy Knowlton doesn’t like the dichotomy of lobster versus whale: “I really hope that the lobster industry recognizes that we want to help them continue, but we also want to help ensure that their gear is safer for whales. It’s not either fishing or right whales, which I think it’s being painted as.” For people wanting to help whales, she suggests letting representatives know that you support fast-tracking improvements to fishing gear. It will be a big investment, so politicians need to know that the public supports it. “That’s one main thing,” Knowlton says, “to show Congress that you care and you want them to help these fisheries change.”
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