MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • April 3, 2022
Under a court mandate, the lobster fishery is being forced to comply with strict new regulations intended to protect the endangered right whale. But data show Maine’s lobster industry isn’t the greatest threat to the whale. The whales are dying in Canadian fishing gear and being struck by ships. No whale has ever been known to die in Maine gear. The new rules won’t protect the whale, but if the lobster industry doesn’t comply, the federal government won’t license the fishery.Lobstering is a $1 billion business in Maine, supporting 10,000 jobs on the water and thousands more bait dealers and boat and trap builders. What would the impact be on our hotels, restaurants, seaside takeouts and the economies of our coastal communities? We all need to work together to save Maine lobstermen before this important heritage is lost forever. ~ Stephanie Hawke, Boothbay Harbor