gloucester times article and public hearing

[matt_unique]

Perhaps others have done the same, but I sent a letter to the editor today reflecting some of the great points brought up here. I will paste my letter below if anyone cares to read it:

>>The article titled "Water fight heads to city Divers, lobstermen dispute ordinance on undersea rights" was somewhat refreshing in that it did not have *all* the usual anti-diver bias.

Some of the content is misleading to the readers however. While you cannot take lobsters diving elsewhere in New England, you must be a MA resident or have at least $5000 in property in MA in order to get a "non-commercial lobster permit". See the fisheries and wildlife summary at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/commercialfishing/nc-lobster_app.pdf The implication that divers flock to Cape Ann from around New England to take lobsters is completely incorrect.

I have been diving in Cape Ann for more than a decade, and I have never once seen or even heard of a diver raiding a trap. It would be like a deer hunter sneaking off to the butcher shop. What is the point of that? The point of diving for lobster is the "hunt". While there are "unscrupulous" "thieves" in every group, the same would apply to lobsterman or fishermen raiding traps that do not belong to them.

Divers come to Cape Ann primarily for the beauty of the underwater topography and not for lobster diving. We are generally stewards of our shared environment and inject $$ into the local community. Local businesses and restaurants benefit from scuba consumers visiting Cape Ann. Some divers actually work with area Lobsterman to recover lost traps and provide other services. <<

 

[joeabroad]

Can anyone who attended the hearing on Monday provide a report on its outcome? The Gloucester Daily Times hasn't printed a story since then that I could find.

 

[namdrib2]

New to this board but a lifetime diver.
I was not there but my father was and also a participant. I will ask him to write a short blurb on what hes determines as a win for the diving community. I post it in a day or so.

Rick "The Boy" Calhoun

 

[oceancat]

Hi. I was at the hearing right before xmas. Basically, the board really doesn't understand why it is unreasonable for each diver to carry a flag in the water. There are 2 that seem to understand that each diver carrying a flag in a group is dangerous and 3 that thought the law was just fine and will protect the diver. All the divers mentioned the entanglement and safety issues of that, but those fell of deaf ears, as the lobstermen countered with being unable to see divers without flags until they popped up out of the water.

For the record, this is not a new law (been on the books in some form or another since 1977 and rewritten in 1993 or 96), but there has been a call by the lobster industry to begin to enforce it. The law states that each diver needs to carry a flag, that boats (even lobstermen hauling traps!!!!) need to stay 50 feet away from the dive flags (this is actually stricter than the state law which states a lobsterman can go 3 knots by a flag to tend traps--this fact seems lost upon the lobstermen!!!). I don't remember the stay away from the lobsterpot issues, but with 5-15 feet viz, how in the world are you going to see the traps 25' away?

The harbormaster and the marine resources commission testified that the law is unenforceable as they don't have the personnel and asked the commission to repeal it. There was one diver who got up there and seemed a little out there and an incredibly well spoken lobsterman who testified to the case of the lobstermen very well. A problem was there were only 2 or 3 divers who testified that were from gloucester, and all of the lobstermen were from gloucester. Only the guys from Cape Ann Divers showed up, not any of the other charters whose business could potentially be affected, nor any other owners of dive shops that could be hurt by enforcement of this rule. Can you imagine trying to teach a class at Stage Fort or Niles and all of the students have to carry a flag??? There are no exceptions for classes. The board represents gloucester, not danvers or beverly, so it would have been nice to see more local divers there who would have sway with the board, as they are electing them.

The next meeting will be in Jan, not sure when. I am going to try to find numbers of divers who have died by getting hit by boats and those that have died from entaglement problems. My theory is the entanglement # would be higher. I was going to check with DAN, but if anyone knows another site for it, let me know.

 

[matt_unique]

My last post about the NPR segment was deleted.....something inappropriate?

--Matt

 

[bhapps24]

It is showing under a different thread. It is still there.

My last post about the NPR segment was deleted.....something inappropriate?

--Matt

Also The law might be shown to be ineffective if compared to putting a bouy on each pot. It would still work but be a lot harder to navigate above water.

 

[matt_unique]

It is showing under a different thread. It is still there.



Also The law might be shown to be ineffective if compared to putting a bouy on each pot. It would still work but be a lot harder to navigate above water.

Duh! I need a nap...

--Matt

 

[Jeff Toorish]

For a while I have been considering creating a not-for-profit Information Association. One of the problems we have as divers when dealing with the media is the lackof an association that would be both a resource for reporters and watchdog to ensure divers rights are protected.

Most activities such as diving have some group that keeps an eye on things. The Airplane Owners and Pilot's Association, the NRA, come to mind as examples but there are others.

I believe that, as diving grows in popularity, there will be more and more attempts to legislate the sport. This will begin first with local ordinances and then states will become more and more involved and finally, at some point, the federal government will decide they need to start passing laws. The media clearly harbors mistaken views of divind ("...the diver's oxygen tanks were full...).

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I would be open to thoughts.

Jeff

 

[Vtdiver2]

I've enjoyed diving Cape Ann in the past, but haven't been in over a year now, since the "war" has escalated. Perhaps the local divers in Cape Ann need to take the offensive, as trying to be reasonable hasn't worked.
Try asking for legislation prohibiting lobstermen from setting traps within 1/2 mile from shore, or 1/4 mile from any known wreck. That way, divers and lobstermen shouldn't be in the same area.
Or, legislate that lobsters need to have bands on their claws indicating who caught them. Is it a "Maine" lobster, or "Mass" lobster. Once that's established, start a boycott of Mass losters, til the locals realize they need to share the area.
I hate seeing things escalate, and I always try to reason with people, trying to work things out. But from everything I've read, cooperation and goodwill isn't working.
Good luck to those of you who continue to dive Cape Ann. I'll miss diving there, and hope to dive it again once things are sorted out. Til then, I'll go to Maine and NH, or the St Lawrence.
C-Dawg

 

[ScubaNorth]

I think both sides are lobstermen just using differing methods. I have never been witness to a trap raid and I myself make every attempt to stay clear of the traps. Can you imagine diving in Gloucester and being able to be 50' from a bouy? How would that be accomplished, the bouys are every 10'. While I have never heard of a diver actually stealing from a trap I have heard tons of accusations. I have also been buzzed by boaters on 1/2 the dives I have done in Gloucester. Sounds a bit like blaming the victim to me. The idea that only divers who live in Gloucester have a rights to be heard is nuts. It appears to me that the "lobstermen" that are mostly in and around the near shore areas (diving areas) are also recreational they just use traps instead of scuba. I know my cost per pound is in the $100's of dollar range, when equipment is figured in. I would certainly hit the local Shaws before I stole from someone. If you are stealing out of traps and risking life and limb (I assume your morals are long gone if you would do this) and equipment you're a moron anyway.