Thousands of miles of jagged Granite shoreline aside, nothing has had - and continues to have - a bigger effect on the coast of Maine, than fishing.
Sadly, most of the fish are gone - many species, due to overfishing. What primarily remains is a lucrative catch: The Maine lobster.
We've seen huge landings break the record of the previous year, for about a half a dozen seasons. The boom has propelled the machinery of the fishing industry. There are now 3 million traps on the bottom maintained by bigger and more expensive boats. Young fishermen have invested heavily in a record breaking future.
Bluebird hauling traps in Pulpit Harbor. Sustainability is a new word in commercial fishing culture.
Why the glut? A few notions you'll hear:
Most of the natural predators of lobsters; ground fish like Cod and Haddock, have disappeared due to overfishing.
Bluebird docking up to take on bait. Bait is supplied by large businesses that buy the lobsters.
3 million traps are feeding stations. Are we farming vs fishing? Could be.
The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the planet: the rising temperatures may have fueled the glut? Possible.
Will the Gulf of Maine warm too much to support lobsters? Inevitable according to fisheries science (lobster migration out of Southern New England). The question is not if, but when.
2017 marked an end to the present record setting trend. Down $100mil. Not a huge drop, but significant.
No alarms sounded yet in the fishing industry...
Bluebird heads out to pull more traps.
Sadly, most of the fish are gone - many species, due to overfishing. What primarily remains is a lucrative catch: The Maine lobster.
We've seen huge landings break the record of the previous year, for about a half a dozen seasons. The boom has propelled the machinery of the fishing industry. There are now 3 million traps on the bottom maintained by bigger and more expensive boats. Young fishermen have invested heavily in a record breaking future.
Bluebird hauling traps in Pulpit Harbor. Sustainability is a new word in commercial fishing culture.
Why the glut? A few notions you'll hear:
Most of the natural predators of lobsters; ground fish like Cod and Haddock, have disappeared due to overfishing.
Bluebird docking up to take on bait. Bait is supplied by large businesses that buy the lobsters.
3 million traps are feeding stations. Are we farming vs fishing? Could be.
The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the planet: the rising temperatures may have fueled the glut? Possible.
Will the Gulf of Maine warm too much to support lobsters? Inevitable according to fisheries science (lobster migration out of Southern New England). The question is not if, but when.
2017 marked an end to the present record setting trend. Down $100mil. Not a huge drop, but significant.
No alarms sounded yet in the fishing industry...
Bluebird heads out to pull more traps.
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