Lobster population falls off New England, leading regulators to declare overfishing
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — According to a new report, America’s lobstersThe species, which has been in decline since 2018, is currently overfished off New England.
Regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said Thursday that stocks in prime fisheries have fallen by 34% since that year. The commission said it now thought overfishing of the species was occurring and this could introduce new management measures that would restrict fishermen from catching them in the future.
Lobsters are among America’s most lucrative seafood species, and last year they were worth more than $700 million in docks. The industry caught record numbers of crustaceans in the 2010s.
However, the commission said in a statement that the lobster population has shown “a rapid decline in abundance in recent years.”
The assessment stated that there was a decrease and overfishing in the fisheries off the coast of Maine and Massachusetts, where most of the lobster fishing takes place. The assessment also took into account the southern New England lobster stock, which has been depleted for years and remains so.
Regulators tried to implement new rules Efforts have been made to stem the decline of lobster fishermen in recent years, but they have met with resistance. They had planned to increase the rate minimum harvest size For lobsters in key fisheries this summer. This would require fishermen to throw back lobsters that could have previously been sold.
The commission withdrew the rules earlier this year after months of protests from lobster fishermen who deemed the new rules unnecessary and threatened their livelihoods. Fishermen in the industry are also grappling with challenges from potential new rules that require protection. rare whales, warming oceans And volatile trade markets.
“Even as the resource adjusts to record levels, lobstermen remain deeply committed to stewardship, sustainable practices and protecting the fisheries that support thousands of Maine families,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen Association.
The American lobster fishery is located mostly in Maine. Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said the state “will continue to engage industry in discussions about stock assessment and the future of the fishery” and is “confident in this industry’s commitment to protecting this resource.”
