BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 5, 2021
Friday’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold reinstatement of a 967-square-mile lobster fishing closure is another devastating blow to Maine lobstermen. This latest court ruling, however, is just the tip of the iceberg that threatens to sink the fishery. Earlier this year, the National Marine Fisheries Service released a 10-year plan intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The problem is that the government’s plan won’t protect the right whale. And the Maine lobster fishery could be eliminated as collateral damage. Environmental groups are suing to apply these rules to both federal and state waters, which could eventually mean no boats in Stonington or Jonesport harbors, no buoys in Boothbay or Cutler and no future fishery for kids growing up on Vinalhaven or Swan’s Island. While we agree with the need to ensure a safe environment in which the right whale population can recover, it’s unfair to hold Maine lobstermen accountable for its decline because we are not to blame. ~ Patrice McCarron, Maine Lobstermen’s Association