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1. How has the catch of lobsters changed over the past 15 years in the state of Maine? It has increased dramatically, about 20 million pounds above the 100-year average.
2. What does Walter Day suggest needs to be done to keep the industry flourishing? “Just let us do what we've been doing, and otherwise let us alone.”
3. What are shorts? That means they are too small.
4. What are eggers? Females carrying masses of roe on their underbellies
5. How are females carrying eggs marked? Why do they do this? They have a small V-shaped notch in their tails, so other lobstermen would know they were breeding stock and by state law must be thrown back. They do this so there will be a greater population of lobster because they are being produced.
6. Why are oversized lobsters also thrown back? They are thrown back because they are considered super studs of the ocean that produce bumper crops of young.
7. Besides following the rules closely, what are some other ways the lobstermen of Vinalhaven protect the lobster crop? They do the V-notching voluntarily but many of them in Maine do it so that’s why theirs a greater production of lobster, and they’re starting to do that in other places.
8. Besides the lobstermen's efforts, what are other factors that may be influencing the numbers of lobsters? There is a limit to the amount of lobster you can have. State law limits lobstermen to 800 traps each, and summer Sundays are considered no-fishing days. This could be influencing the lobsters because theirs plenty to go around and not everyone is taking them for their selves.
9. There are signs that the numbers may be dropping. What are the plans to try and keep the industry booming? To keep doing what they’re doing and if it really does drop, the real lobster fisherman will be there in the end.
10. Would you become a lobsterman if you could? Why or why not?
I would not become a lobsterman because I don’t want to depend on lobster for my income, if the lobster starts to decrease
2. What does Walter Day suggest needs to be done to keep the industry flourishing? “Just let us do what we've been doing, and otherwise let us alone.”
3. What are shorts? That means they are too small.
4. What are eggers? Females carrying masses of roe on their underbellies
5. How are females carrying eggs marked? Why do they do this? They have a small V-shaped notch in their tails, so other lobstermen would know they were breeding stock and by state law must be thrown back. They do this so there will be a greater population of lobster because they are being produced.
6. Why are oversized lobsters also thrown back? They are thrown back because they are considered super studs of the ocean that produce bumper crops of young.
7. Besides following the rules closely, what are some other ways the lobstermen of Vinalhaven protect the lobster crop? They do the V-notching voluntarily but many of them in Maine do it so that’s why theirs a greater production of lobster, and they’re starting to do that in other places.
8. Besides the lobstermen's efforts, what are other factors that may be influencing the numbers of lobsters? There is a limit to the amount of lobster you can have. State law limits lobstermen to 800 traps each, and summer Sundays are considered no-fishing days. This could be influencing the lobsters because theirs plenty to go around and not everyone is taking them for their selves.
9. There are signs that the numbers may be dropping. What are the plans to try and keep the industry booming? To keep doing what they’re doing and if it really does drop, the real lobster fisherman will be there in the end.
10. Would you become a lobsterman if you could? Why or why not?
I would not become a lobsterman because I don’t want to depend on lobster for my income, if the lobster starts to decrease