Fishing Less Could Be a Win for Both Lobstermen and Endangered Whales

A new study by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found that New England’s historic lobster fishery may turn a higher profit by operating with less gear in the water and a shorter season. The findings could provide a path forward for the lobster fishing industry, which is under pressure to move away from traditional pot fishing that uses long vertical lines of rope known to entangle and kill endangered North Atlantic right whales and other protected species. The study was published this week in the journal Marine Policy.

“The story the data tells is optimistic,” says lead author Hannah Myers, a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a guest student at WHOI. “We know that taking rope out of the water column is the best way to protect whales, and that can likely be done in a way that could benefit fishers as well.”

American lobsters (Homarus americanus) found on the U.S. Atlantic coast bring in more revenue than any other fishery in the country, with a record high of more than $670 million in 2016. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the fishery is operating efficiently, researchers say.

In order to maintain healthy fish stocks, many fisheries have a limited season, catch quotas and/or gear restrictions. These measures often reduce associated fishing costs, such as for bait and fuel, while also ensuring that the available fish are bigger and more abundant. Although the U.S. lobster fishery has some restrictions, the trap limit is very high and for the most part fishers can operate year-round.

Read more at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Image: A disentanglement team attempts to free a right whale from fishing gear. The animal was found dead two weeks later from injuries caused by the entanglement. (Credit: Image courtesy of EcoHealth Alliance, NOAA Permit #932-1905)