Whales Vs. Lobstering – This Time The Crustaceans Get A Pass

Maine's lobster industry is breathing a sigh of relief today as a U.S. District Judge issued a restraining order to block almost 1,000 square miles of lobster fishing area that was set to be off limits due to a protection order to protect North Atlantic right whales according to a report by Mainebiz.

Had this closure taken effect it would have displaced 123 lobster boats and the fisherman who work on those vessels. Estimates are around 1 million pounds of lobster would have not been landed due to the closure had it taken effect.

One of the greatest issues that the lobster industry took exception with was the designated area that was proposed to be closed has never had any issues with entanglement of the endangered whales. There have been entanglements in other areas before in the gulf of Maine but with so much at stake, this is a huge victory for the Maine Lobstering Union and all the fisherman that work those waters.

There is admittedly work to be done but this will allow more time to come to a solution that hopefully is mutually beneficial to both the lobstering industry and those that hope to protect the endangered right whales.

Do you have our free radio station app yet? If not, it's the perfect way to request a song, talk to the DJs, enter exclusive contests and to stay up to date with everything that's happening in and around Central Maine and the world. When you download it, make sure you turn on the push notifications so that we can send you exclusive content and local breaking news that you need to know about first. Just enter your mobile number below and we'll send a download link right to your mobile device. After that, you can download for free and immediately begin accessing all kinds of exclusive content tailored just for you. Give it a try and stay connected with us!

Get our free mobile app