Tag Archives: “Gray Zone”
Fishermen call for a delay to upcoming lobster size rules
Congressman Jared Golden is calling on fishery regulators to delay upcoming rules that will change the minimum catch sizes for lobster in certain parts of Maine. Officials have said the changes are necessary after they observed a troubling decline in the juvenile lobster population over a three-year period. The new management measures are intended to allow sublegal lobsters to reproduce before being harvested. But some Maine fishermen are questioning that data, and on Tuesday, many turned out at a meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to express their concerns. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:50
More Than $35 Million for Maine’s Lobster Industry Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced more than $35 million and key language to support Maine’s lobster industry in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House. “Flawed and incomplete data is being used to inform regulations, creating unnecessary, burdensome requirements for Maine lobstermen and women,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would support Maine’s iconic lobster industry by improving the incomplete and imprecise science upon which the federal government relies. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.” >click to read the press release< 15:47
‘Lobster War’ zones in on U.S.-Canada turf dispute
“A fisherman is born not made.” Those words, from the film Lobster War, may ring true to the island fishing community, and to fishermen throughout New England, Canada and beyond. And, just as lobstermen often pass their expertise and way of life down through the generations, so, too, can turf conflicts begin over long-held family fishing areas. In Lobster War, the disputed turf is 270 square miles of ocean on the U.S.-Canada border, and the “families” are Maine and Canadian lobstermen. >click to read<11:12
Lobster fishery intensifies Machias Seal Island boundary dispute
In the past, local fishermen based in Cutler, Maine and Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick have feuded over the area, but have been able to sort out their differences informally. But in recent years, at least one Nova Scotia processor as well as aboriginal bands exercising their rights under the Supreme Court of Canada’s Marshall decision have acquired licences that were once part of the Grand Manan fleet. Steven Corkum, the president of Nova Scotia-based Yarmouth Sea Products, law enables him to hire a crew to catch lobster in Zone 38. Read the rest here 06:36
Lobster War in the “Gray Zone” – High prices fuel border feud
There have been death threats on both sides of the watery divide between the United States and Canada, as lobstermen accuse each other of sabotaging lines, stealing gear, and setting traps atop those already in the water. “This is a ticking time bomb out here,” said Brian Cates, 61, of Cutler, Maine, who has been fishing the contested waters in the Bay of Fundy since he was 9 years old. “It’s just a matter of time before someone gets killed.” Video, Read the rest here 07:49
