Maine Lobster Assesment
1. How has the catch of lobsters changed over the past 15 years in the state of Maine?
Lobstering has dominated the fishing industry in Maine over the last 20 years. However, lobster population in the state has diminished as a result of overfishing.
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?
Lobsters that 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? by cutting 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.
6. Why are oversized lobsters also 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 not tolerate the kind of cheating often reported before the big lobster crash that hit early last century, when many lobstermen caught and kept illegal lobsters and even scraped the roe off females so they could sell eggers.
8. Besides the lobstermen's efforts, what are other factors that may be influencing the numbers of lobsters?
9. There are signs that the numbers may be dropping. What are the plans to try and keep the industry booming?
10. Would you become a lobsterman if you could? Why or why
Lobstering has dominated the fishing industry in Maine over the last 20 years. However, lobster population in the state has diminished as a result of overfishing.
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?
Lobsters that 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? by cutting 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.
6. Why are oversized lobsters also 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 not tolerate the kind of cheating often reported before the big lobster crash that hit early last century, when many lobstermen caught and kept illegal lobsters and even scraped the roe off females so they could sell eggers.
8. Besides the lobstermen's efforts, what are other factors that may be influencing the numbers of lobsters?
9. There are signs that the numbers may be dropping. What are the plans to try and keep the industry booming?
10. Would you become a lobsterman if you could? Why or why