April 27, 2018 — MARSHFIELD, Mass. — The dozens of right whales spotted off South Shore coasts since Sunday have delivered a major blow to the local fishing fleet.
The unusually large number of right whales feeding close to the shores of Marshfield and Hull and in Cape Cod Bay this week has led the state Division of Marine Fisheries to implement two emergency regulations, which will push off the start of lobster season in southern Massachusetts.
Lobstermen already have to observe a three month closure from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually in an effort to reduce the number of whales that get entangled in fishing gear during their annual migration. Now, however, boats won’t be able to hit the water until May 6 at the earliest, and a second regulation imposes a 10 knot speed limit for vessels less than 65 feet long through May 15. Right whales feed close to the surface and are vulnerable to vessel strikes.
Read the full story at the Patriot Ledger