Maybe It's Time to Try Blue-Claw Crabs?
Regulators are still trying to figure out what to do about southern New England's lobsters, which are nowhere near as abundant as they used to be. The latest idea, discussed the other day among lobstermen and Connecticut officials, is to shut the Long Island Sound fishery down for a period of weeks or months every year, to reduce the number of lobsters caught by 10 percent. The New London Day reported:
The reduction is being sought because lobster populations in southern New England are significantly below what the fisheries commission considers a healthy level, and have been for the last 10 years or more. Lobster populations in Long Island Sound, coastal Rhode Island and southern coastal Massachusetts are estimated at 14.7 million adults, compared to the target level of 25.4 million adults....
There are about 130 active lobstermen in the state. A total of 460 hold commercial lobster permits, but many of those are inactive.
I have a couple of questions:
A 10 percent reduction from what?
How do they estimate how many adult lobsters are in that area and how do they come up with a "target level"?
Given the fact the water temperatures are rising in the area, which is at the extreme southern edge of the lobster's inshore range, and that lobsters are a cold-water species, and that lobsters have been dying and getting hit with diseases anyway, I can't imagine that any of it will work. But I guess it's worth a try.
The reduction is being sought because lobster populations in southern New England are significantly below what the fisheries commission considers a healthy level, and have been for the last 10 years or more. Lobster populations in Long Island Sound, coastal Rhode Island and southern coastal Massachusetts are estimated at 14.7 million adults, compared to the target level of 25.4 million adults....
There are about 130 active lobstermen in the state. A total of 460 hold commercial lobster permits, but many of those are inactive.
I have a couple of questions:
A 10 percent reduction from what?
How do they estimate how many adult lobsters are in that area and how do they come up with a "target level"?
Given the fact the water temperatures are rising in the area, which is at the extreme southern edge of the lobster's inshore range, and that lobsters are a cold-water species, and that lobsters have been dying and getting hit with diseases anyway, I can't imagine that any of it will work. But I guess it's worth a try.
Labels: Lobsters
posted by Tom Andersen at 9:32 AM
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