By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Young lobsters show decline off New England, and fishermen will see new rules as a result
preview.jpg
FILE - A lobster rears its claws after being caught off Spruce Head, Maine, Aug. 31, 2021. The regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, that surveys have detected a 39% decline in young lobsters in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank areas for 2020-22 compared to 2016-18. Those are among the most important lobster fishing grounds in the world. - photo by AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The population of young lobsters has declined nearly 40% in some of the most critical fishing waters off New England, officials said Wednesday, triggering new restrictions for the fishermen who harvest the valuable crustaceans. Officials with the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said surveys have detected a 39% decline in young lobsters in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank areas for 2020-22 compared to 2016-18. The areas are among the most important lobster fishing grounds in the world.