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America’s lobsters, which have been in decline since 2018, are now being overfished, a new report says new England,
Regulator Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said Thursday that stocks in the most important fishing grounds have declined 34% since that year. The Commission said it is now considering overfishing of this species, and this could lead to new management measures that would prevent fishermen from catching them in the future.
Lobster are among AmericaThese are the most lucrative seafood species, and they were worth more than $700 million on the docks last year. The industry caught record high numbers of crustaceans in the 2010s.
But the commission said in a statement, “Lobster populations have seen a rapid decline in recent years.”
The assessment said declines and overfishing are occurring in fishing areas in Maine and Massachusetts, where most lobster fishing occurs. The assessment also considered the southern New England lobster stock, which was said to have been depleted for years and remains so.
Regulators have attempted to impose new regulations on lobster fishermen in recent years to stem the decline, but have faced resistance. They planned to increase the minimum harvest size for lobster in major fishing grounds this summer. This would require fishermen to throw back lobsters that previously could have been sold.
The commission endorsed the rules earlier this year after months of protest by lobster fishermen who found the new rules were unnecessary and a threat to their livelihoods. fishermen The industry is also grappling with the challenges of potential new regulations to protect rare whales, warming oceans and volatile trading markets.
“Even as resources adjust to record highs, lobstermen remain deeply committed to stewardship, sustainable practices and protecting the fishery that sustains thousands of Maine families,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
The American lobster fishery is based primarily in Maine. Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson said the state “will continue to engage the industry in discussions about stock assessments and the future of the fishery” and that he is “confident in this industry’s commitment to the conservation of this resource.”