Lobster Institute

Maine Lobster Harvesters' Survey Results: Survey at a Glance; Should There Be A Trap Limit?; Should Trawls Be Allowed in Your Area?; Should There Be a Closed Season?
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Maine Lobster Harvesters' Survey Results

A lobster harvesters' survey was developed by the lobster industry in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Lobster Institute, and University of Maine (UM) faculty. The advisory committee that developed the survey included DMR representatives Kevin Kelly and Jay Krouse; Maine LobstermenÕs Association executive director Pat White; University of Maine faculty members Jim Acheson, Bill Congleton, Bryan Pearce, Bob Steneck, and Jim Wilson; and Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute. The survey was organized on a coded form and analyzed by Walter McIntire and Rebecca Carr of the Center for Research and Evaluation in the UM College of Education. All 7700 Maine lobster license holders were surveyed to primarily determine their current fishing practices and attitudes toward a trap limit, trawls, and a closed season.

Survey at a glance

With over 2100 responses (more than 25%) returned, results show that the average number of traps fished is approximately 460 statewide and the average for a proposed trap limit is around 790. There is some variation by zone, with the Downeast zones showing slightly lower proposed limits. Less than 10% of the harvesters who returned the survey are considered part-time, meaning they fish less than three months or fewer than 50 traps. Most respondents are 41-50 years old (with the 31-40 age group a close second), have lobstered for 21 or more years, and have boats that are 28-35 feet long. When asked about trawls, over 66% said they did not fish trawls but, of those that did, most fished two traps per trawl. Over 59% said that trawls should not be allowed in their area and more than 70% believe there should not be a closed season. Other interesting details gleaned from the survey are: August is the most common lobstering month and most lobstermen who fish for other species harvest scallops and urchins. One thing evident from the survey is that Maine lobstermen have a lot on their minds. Almost everyone who completed the survey wrote comments on the back and some even added extra sheets of paper. When the comments were scanned, there were 80 single-spaced, typed pages of remarks. Although comments ranged all over the board, the most common concerns lobstermen expressed were about dragging, limited entry, and the 3- or 12-mile limit.

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Should There Be a Trap Limit?

For the purpose of the survey, the Maine coast was divided into five zones, following the boundaries of the proposed management zones. Zone D proposed the highest trap limit with the mean at 835 and Zone A proposed the lowest at 709. It is interesting to note that the average maximum number of traps fished in Zone D is 472 and in Zone A it is 387.
Following are some comments from the survey on trap limits:

We need an 800 trap limit now-not six years away with a limited entry. At the present time, there are too many traps in the water for lobsters to be able to move around.

I started lobstering at age 14 and I'm now 77 years old. I've seen a lot of changes and I don't think anybody wants to face the fact of what the problem is-the areas are overfished. I've seen the time when I've taken eleven lobsters out of one trap. Now I don't know how many traps you would have to haul to get that many, because of the hogs fishing too many traps. There should be a limit of 300 traps per person because if a person keeps their traps clean and in good working order, 300 is all they can handle in one day.

I strongly oppose a trap limit and trap tags. I have fished for over 30 years and I feel that if the 5" measure and the V-notch are left as is, the lobster fishery is in very fine shape. As for the trap limit, Mother Nature has a way of taking care of that.

Please stick to the trap limit of 800 by year four of the state plan. The 1200 trap limit now in place is not a trap limit!

Pass a statewide trap limit of 400 traps with no exceptions. No zones or seasons. Also forget the logbook idea and the tagging of traps is just another money scheme for the state. It serves no purpose whatsoever.

Limit the number of traps to 500 per person that owns and operates his/her own boat. This will allow people to haul their gear in shedder season more than twice a week. That will stop a lot of shedders from being eaten by predators like urchins, cockles, crabs, and other harder lobsters. It will help keep the bottom from being overfished.

We need a realistic trap limit and limited entry. I think self- interested groups and the state are making things way too complicated.

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Should Trawls Be Allowed In Your Area?

Out of the harvesters who answered the survey, over 66% said they did not fish trawls. The majority of those who fish trawls live in Zone D. When asked if trawls should be allowed in their area, about 59% said no. Not surprisingly, out of the 41% who thought trawls should be allowed in their area, most of them reside in Zone D.

Some opinions on trawls are:

I am 100% against trap trawls and am for trap limits. Trap trawls cause lots of problems in our area. I lose lots of traps because we have snarls that canÕt be cleared and we lose part of our ropes because of this. Trawls overfish areas.

By limiting the number of traps per trawl that fishermen can fish, the state of Maine would accomplish two goals. First, it would limit the number of traps a fisherman could fish because singles and pairs take a lot longer to fish. Second, it would ease some of the problems fishermen have by setting across each other... thus eliminating Òcutting.Ó I feel limiting the number of traps per trawl is an easy and effective solution to overfishing in the lobster industry.

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Should There Be A Closed Season?

Nearly 71% of the respondents do not think there should be a closed season. However, the majority of the 29% who voted for a closed season reside in Zone E. If there is a closed season, most would choose to close the months of January, February, and March which represent the least-fished months. The largest percentage of harvesters fish in July, August, and September with most fishing in August.

Some More Interesting Comments . . .

I believe that our V-notch, recent measure, and vent size increase, coupled with Mother Nature herself, is definitely enough conservation in our business. I do not believe anything more, i.e. ideas, programs or ÒletÕs tryÓ techniques need to be installed or mandated.

No one should enter the lobster business unless they buy a lobster fisherman out-license and all!

I would like the idea that "summer people," when they get their boats registered, should get a warning sticker they have to put in their boats that says Òrespect fishermensÕ buoys.Ó I have lost a good many traps to speed boats and would like something done about it.

I think lobstering in my area is well maintained and there are no problems with the quantity or quality of lobsters. I feel there is no need for any further federal or state involvement.

Leave the fishermen to control their own destiny.

No groundfish dragging at all. No shrimp dragging... because it kills all the fish flat and ruins them. I know because I have done all the above.

I am against trawlers and draggers destroying bottom with drags. Bottom fishing should be limited to scuba divers or hook and bait. Stop draggers and all will return to normal.

The best plan to protect the lobster industry in Maine is the total elimination of all types of inshore dragging. Dragging is devastating to the ecosystem. It not only destroys lobsters at all stages of development, it also destroys their habitat. Other states such as Florida do not allow these practices to occur because they value their natural resources. It seems to me that Maine does not. If measures are not taken to rectify the situation, the economy of our state could be severely impacted.

I would like to see the state extend the 3-mile limit to a 12-mile limit. It would help protect our lobster industry from offshore draggers taking our egg-bearing females to market. It would also protect our traps from getting cut off and stove up by draggers and oil tankers.

To save the fishing industry for our youth, we must do something now.

I believe that this survey, if utilized properly, can be the first step in a better effort by all persons concerned in the Maine lobster industry to determine an accurate and detailed plan to conserve our resources while still allowing the fisherman his/her independent efforts to make a living.

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EditorÕs Note: These comments may or may not represent the majority; they are individualsÕ opinions.

Many thanks to all who responded to the survey. Answers provided will help the state set up zones in which lobstermen will make their own rules for fishing. There will be a detailed location follow-up survey coming soon. If you did not respond to the first survey but would lke to take part in the next one, please contact the Lobster Institute at (207) 581-1448. For further details on the survey, check the Lobster Institute home page: http://www.lobster.UM.Maine.edu/lobster

Should There Be A Closed Season?

Lobster Dealers & Pound Operators Conference A Success

On April 13, nearly 125 pound owners and dealers from the northeastern U.S. and Canada gathered at the Sheraton Tara Hotel in South Portland, Maine, to discuss lobster qualtity maintenance and assessment, processing and flavor evaluation, and the Homarus americanus Lobster Exhange (HALE). Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute, was moderator for a panel that explained how to evaluate lobsters for shipping or storage and gave an update on the latest packaging techniques. Panel members included Adrian Desbarats, Clearwater; Mike Loughlin, Maine Lobster Technology; Deanna Prince, University of Maine (UM); and Leo Larosa, Rose Seafood. In the processing seminar, Terry Work and Al Bushway of the UM Food Science & Human Nutrition Department covered topics such as how to: get the best shelf life, evaluate lobster flavor in processed products, and maintain quality in shipping processed products overseas. Bob Brown, president of the Maine Import/Export Lobster Dealers Association, led the discussion on HALE, a financial clearinghouse that would minimize or eliminate bad debt and put sellers in the position of having a strong incentive to market the product. HALE would be a self-sustaining arrangement that offers financial incentives beyond bad debt protection, maintaining the kinds of bilateral business arrangements that currently characterize the industry. The day ended with a cracker barrel discussion on current issues led by Bill Adler, executive director of the Massachusetts LobstermenÕs Association. Canadian and American lobster industry members and government officials discussed proposed U.S. and Canadian management plans and their effects on the industries.

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