Anti-Diver Sentiment on Cape Ann

[STOGEY]

Maybe we can get the lobsta men feuding amongst themselves.

 

[ClassAction]

I guess they just need a catchy name... something like neighborhhood watch, but for lobster divers.

I'm thinking a round red w/white stripe sticker with a silouette of a lobster pot the words "Trap Watch" or something like that, and "Report Lobster Poachers" with the EPO phone number. Proceeds from the sale of stickers could go to the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, in order to help ensure that members recognize that there is a grass-roots movement of local divers who support them.

While we're at it, why don't we offer free backrubs to lobstermen? We could even use lotion... Seriously, I don't usually make a habit of selling stickers for, and donating proceeds to, people who try to hit me with their boat, vandalize my car and/or burn me in effigy. Not that I want to start a war with our toothless friends, but let's stop and think about this before we run down to CVS for some lavender-scented lotion...

And while I'm on my soapbox, why don't we all acknowledge the real issue here. I'll bet that 1% of divers would ever take lobsters from a trap. I also think that the lobstermen know this. This isn't about stealing lobsters. The "problem" is that these lobstermen want to pull their traps (e.g. on a saturday morning) and go home to their lobstermen-wives. They don't want to wait for every diver and his brother to clear the area before doing so... This ordinance is likely designed to solve this "problem." Lobster-theft is just a pretext...

 

[MSilvia]

Seriously, I don't usually make a habit of selling stickers for, and donating proceeds to, people who try to hit me with their boat, vandalize my car and/or burn me in effigy.

Here's the thing... I DO support lobstermen, and in my experience most of them are good folks just trying to earn a living. If they harbor ill will toward divers, it's because of prior bad experiences and misconception. I don't support the jerks who vandalize, endanger, etc, but that's not "lobstermen", that's jerks. "Lobstermen" in general are no more responsible for that behavior than "divers" in general are responsible for trap picking.

As far as I'm concerned, the a-holes at Lane's cove can all get a hole in the boat and I won't lose sleep over it, but I don't at all believe that the majority of lobstermen act similarly. The more awareness there is in the lobstering industry that there are divers who get pissed about poachers and trap-pickers, the harder it is for resentment to build up to the point where these problems are created.

 

[SadiesMom]

I've got to say that in 3 years of diving Cape Ann, I've never met with another diver who's even contemplated stealing a lobster from a trap. I just don't know who these people *are.* If this is such a widespread phenomena that Cape Ann lobstermen are so hot under the collar about divers in general, why is it that so few of us seem to know any of them????

I'd be fascinated to know exactly who this "RI dive club" mentioned is...I'd be *awfully* suprised if it were the one that meets at my LDS (which is on the border)...although many of them are avid lobster divers, they're also sticklers for doing things legally (most of them are actually MA residents, so they hold MA licenses).

 

[scubadobadoo]

This isn't about stealing lobsters. The "problem" is that these lobstermen want to pull their traps (e.g. on a saturday morning) and go home to their lobstermen-wives. They don't want to wait for every diver and his brother to clear the area before doing so... This ordinance is likely designed to solve this "problem." Lobster-theft is just a pretext...

This is startng to make sense to me....I believe Class Action has something here.

 

[ClassAction]

Here's the thing... I DO support lobstermen, and in my experience most of them are good folks just trying to earn a living. If they harbor ill will toward divers, it's because of prior bad experiences and misconception. I don't support the jerks who vandalize, endanger, etc, but that's not "lobstermen", that's jerks. "Lobstermen" in general are no more responsible for that behavior than "divers" in general are responsible for trap picking.

As far as I'm concerned, the a-holes at Lane's cove can all get a hole in the boat and I won't lose sleep over it, but I don't at all believe that the majority of lobstermen act similarly. The more awareness there is in the lobstering industry that there are divers who get pissed about poachers and trap-pickers, the harder it is for resentment to build up to the point where these problems are created.

You make a fair point. I guess I got a little carried away -- then, again, how often do you get to incorporate lavender-scented lotion in a comment on here? The excitement just went to my head...

 

[MAsharkDiver]

Although I'm sure that there are in fact bad divers that raid traps and just generally behave poorly (something we as a group should work hard to police our own ranks) that doesn't give these hicks the right to ban diving in the area. All their behavior shows is that they choose to act like a bunch of inbred morons rather than rational adults.

You can look at our own State Police Dive Team members (only the three we saw) who went diving at a site in Gloucester a couple of years back.. My buddy and I had just finished our second dive (only caught and found 3 LEGAL sized bugs after 2 dives) and were getting ready to pick up....three state police divers entered the water, came out in about 20 minutes with 3 catch bags each 1/2 full of lobsters... not to mention they were driving their state police vehicles and had coolers stocked inside them.... who is going to stop and ask them if they can check the bugs?

I'm not a cop hater, but this made me sick and wonder if my support for these guys should be re-evaluated.

 

[scubastew]

could have been state pots down below? but yeah seemed fishy

on a side note there seems to be one of those dive team guys with an "above the law attitude". He was featured in a Herald article after the State Dive Team representative got in a fist fight in front of the Bank North Garden with a Boston Police officer trying to direct traffic on causeway street. Both were IN UNIFORM and ON DUTY! Seems to me the BPO had the right of way. And like it's an easy job to direct a bunch of lunatics gettingout of there anyway..

Trooper, cop brawl at concert; [All Editions]
MICHELE MCPHEE.
Boston Herald. Boston, Mass.
Jun 28, 2006. pg. 5

The two cops - both in uniform - began to argue loudly as the Garden emptied out about 11 p.m., a dispute that escalated into a full-on rumble, sources said. [Robert Grover] was reportedly angry about the way [Edward MacPherson] was directing limousine traffic outside 11 Causeway St. The fight was witnessed by dozens of country music fans in cowboy hats and fringe vests.

 

[scubadobadoo]

The fight was witnessed by dozens of country music fans in cowboy hats and fringe vests.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[LobstaMan]

Trooper Grover is not a dive team member, but assigned to the MSP Marine Unit which has it's headquarters right next to the Garden and the Zakim bridge. The BPD officer was letting all the traffic out of the lots so he could get his traffic detail over with quicker(damn the Causeway Street traffic). The trooper was sitting in that traffic trying to get home after the Eve shift(gets out at 11pm) at the Marine Unit when he got stuck on Causeway Street while the traffic poured out of the Garden lots. Hence the dispute...two cops wanting to get home at the same time with differing ways how to get there. Not taking sides here....cops shouldn't be fist-fighting in uniform or arguing with each other in public. No matter who was right they both should be disciplined and told to cut the *****.


Now back to the thread topic which has been detoured slightly....

Lobstermen vs. divers -- it's the few bad apples in each group that spoils it for the rest of the law-abiding, fun-loving hard-working members. If the lobstermen would police there own ranks, then the divers might do the same. There's no bigger motivation than peer pressure between members of as close-knit groups like divers and lobstermen. At the same time, we should spread some good will to correct those lobstermen and residents of Cape Ann who have a negative idea of divers. I don't know exactly how you'd do it but, being extra friendly, courteous to neighbors and boaters and bathers would be a start. Parking only where you're suposed to(I know they're draconian), etc. About the town ordinance, not to worry. Like someone else mentioned earlier, it's almost unenforceable.

LobstaMan(who will be diving South of Boston this weekend )