March 3, 2022 — At the beginning of the year, Maine lobstermen were having a hard time finding the new gear that is being required to help protect right whales. Though suppliers are now starting to see these new weak ropes and links come in, they haven’t received a flurry of new orders despite the looming spring implementation date.
Starting on May 1, lobstermen, depending on where they fish, will have to have ropes running from their buoys to traps that can break with 1,700 pounds of force, or have inserts in the line that allow it to snap easier should a whale ever get entangled in them.
But some say that date is just too soon to change gear.
The lobster industry, backed by state officials, has pushed back against the rules. Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine congressional delegation and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association have all called on federal regulators to delay the deadline until July to give lobstermen more time to get in line.
Still, the gear is becoming available.
Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News