Hundreds of coastal communities depend on the traditional, family-oriented history of lobstering. However, the biological factors that sustain lobster fisheries throughout the Maine region, and other US coastal areas, are poorly understood and often disobeyed. In recent years, many fisheries have collapsed in the Gulf of Maine. To safeguard further lob
ster fisheries from a similar fate, it is imperative to improve public knowledge through conservation, outreach, research and education.
For its part, the State of Maine has created laws and agencies to ensure the protection and promotion of Maine lobsters worldwide. Currently, it is seeking a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue “eco-label” seal for Maine lobsters to assure consumers the lobster they enjoy was not over-fished or harvested in a way that harms the oceans.
Maine harvesters have been environmentally conscious and “eco friendly” for over 100 years, harvesting by hand one trap at a time to ensure quality lobster product, sustainable marine environments and overall lobster health. Some of the proper, regulated and sustainable Maine lobstering practices to follow are:
Tail Notching, which ensures that female lobsters with visible eggs cannot be harvested by “notching” her tail before releasing her.
Setting the Minimum Size Limit of 3 ¼ inches carapace (the hard upper-shell) measurements to allow adolescent Maine Lobsters the chance to mature and reproduce.
Setting the Maximum Size Limit of 5 inches carapace measurements to protect the large, healthy breeding stock.
Main harvesting methods mandate that lobster harvesting is by trap-only in Maine, which means no dragging of nets or diving. Traps must have escape vents for undersized lobsters and biodegradable escape hatches to free lobsters in lost traps.
A trap limit is also agreed upon whereby the total number of traps per harvester is limited, by both the State and the individual lobster fisheries.
Additionally, a “Lobster Seed Fund”, supported by license fees, purchases females that release eggs after being harvested. This buy-back program helps ensure that the good breeding stock is returned to the ocean for reproduction.
Any person who enjoys a live lobster can feel good, knowing the product comes from a well-managed, sustainable, pristine marine resource with the utmost concern for ecosystem protection and the lobster population.
