The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a 15-state regulatory body responsible for the waters off the US eastern seaboard, is debating a measure that could effectively end the lobster industry south of Cape Cod for the current generation of lobstermen. The Commission's American Lobster Management Board is deciding whether to impose a five-year moratorium on all lobster fishing from Southern New England to North Carolina. Scientists believe the lobster population is dwindling and it needs time to replenish.
"There are no recruits coming in. No baby lobsters to replace the bigger ones that are come out, and that's what really has most of the scientists concerned," Jim Gilmore of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said.
The American Lobster Management Board says a combination of overfishing and environmental factors contribute to declining stocks. Rising sea temperatures appear to hinder lobster reproduction and the latest assessment found the lobster stock to be in "poor condition."
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