There is a looming bait crisis for Maine’s lobstermen and small fishing communities.
Some report that this crisis will have grave consequences for one-third of those who earn their livelihood catching one of the state’s most valuable resources.
The ripple effects of this could touch all of us.
Seventy percent of the bait Maine lobstermen use is herring. Recent recommendations from independent fisheries scientists suggest that the herring catch must be dramatically reduced, especially from inshore areas that are so vital to supplying the lobster bait market.