MAINE PUBLIC • June 11, 2021
The enforcement of lobster trap rules far offshore is getting increased attention from state and federal regulators, who are turning to new technology to inspect gear for compliance with requirements that aim to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly entanglements. Last year, NOAA started testing remotely-operated underwater vehicles, or ROVs, outfitted with video cameras, to dive underwater and send images back to a vessel. Only when potential violations are found does the officer then winch the gear up for a direct inspection. Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, is skeptical that the addition of ROVs alone will be sufficient once new gear rules are enacted this fall. She says a new initiative by the state's Department of Marine Resources could help. DMR is asking for $3.3 million dollars for marine patrol infrastructure, including the purchase of a large vessel equipped to routinely handle the challenges of at-sea inspections.