Last year, the Maine lobster industry was faced with a potential new requirement that would mandate the use of on-demand or “ropeless” fishing gear to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale in certain times and places. The industry and the Maine congressional delegation argued that there wasn’t enough time or money to transition to a new gear type that still needed more testing in Maine’s water. Ultimately, in a last-minute backdoor deal, Maine’s representatives delivered what the governor hailed as a “lifeline for Maine’s lobster industry”: Six years and $18 million to test and develop safer fishing gear.
The lobster industry got exactly what it wanted: more time and money. But to read that the industry now won’t even participate in the testing that it demanded is beyond troubling (“Maine lobstermen signal opposition to participating in ropeless testing program,” Nov. 29). This exposes what may be behind this: a shameless political tactic to delay doing what is needed to help this species recover.
The resources are there, and the time is now for Maine’s fishermen to make good on their pleas to Congress and use their skill, experience and expertise to find a way to make ropeless gear work for Maine and the whales.
Change is hard for everyone, but the clock is ticking. If the lobster industry wants a say in what equipment of the future will look like, they can’t sit on the sidelines and complain about how it won’t work before even trying.
Sarah Perry
Falmouth
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