MAINE PUBLIC • October 6, 2022
Lobstermen from around Maine packed a hearing Wednesday night in Portland on proposed new rules to protect endangered right whales. Maine lobstermen are already facing gear changes and the seasonal closure of nearly 1,000 square miles of fishing grounds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association says that should reduce whale mortality by about 46% but the agency is looking for further risk reductions of another 44%. Sonny Beal is a third generation lobsterman from Beals Island who said lobster gear is not the problem; ship strikes are. But he said the Maine lobster industry is paying the price. "You're gonna cripple the Maine economy with your lies and computer guesses," he said.