Merrimack Journal interview for story on "lobster bill"

[reefseal]

Man these articles have some ridiculous comments from "experts". The writer was the 'messenger' in this case but I sent him a note with my 2 cents:

>>Good afternoon,
I'm a MA resident but I read your recent articles with
interest.

I wanted to present a few opinions from the
perspective of a diver and a passenger transport
Captain.

1.) Following the rules
I find it interesting Bob L’Heureux does not
acknowledge any possibility that commercial lobstermen
break the rules. This is in fact rather ridiculous.
There are just as many scenarios for lobstermen to
break the rules as there are for divers. This could
include taking lobster from traps owned by another
vessel, catching females and scraping the eggs off,
rigging the traps without minimum clearances, etc.,
etc. I'm on the water several times a week year round
and I have never once seen a lobster boat stopped and
inspected by the EP or USCG. I have certainly seen
and have been approached by EP waiting for divers to
emerge from the water to inspect their coolers or
catch bags. There is just as much opportunity for
divers to break the rules as lobstermen. The reality
is, a commercial lobsterman breaking the rules will
have a far greater impact than a recreational diver
taking a hand full of lobsters every year. The only
remedy for this is enforcement and penalties to keep
both parties honest. I think all would agree there
are not enough resources to patrol everyone all the
time.

2.) Environmental concerns
As a diver (who takes about 8 lobsters a year for my
own consumption) I see ghost traps all over the place.
Divers could not possibly pollute to the level of
commercial lobstermen based on carrying capacity and
necessary gear. In terms of disturbing a lobster as
part of the fishing process (referenced in your
article), divers are required to check for eggs, size,
and v-notch while still underwater. If any conditions
are not met the diver releases the lobster where
he/she caught it. Lobstermen drag a trap to the
surface, do the necessary checks, then throw the
lobster back into the water. The lobster must descend
from the surface to a new hiding spot on the bottom
dodging their predators on the way down. This
presents a much greater risk to disturbing a lobster
and exposing it to predators as part of the fishing
process.

3.) The MA model for divers
Even MA based newspapers seem to omit key facts
relating to the requirements for obtaining a diving
lobster license in MA. It is a common misconception
that divers 'flock' to MA because 'they can take
lobster'. Only MA residents, or those temporarily
living in a MA coastal town, or non-MA residents with
property in MA in excess of $5000 as evidenced by tax
records may acquire a non-commercial lobster diving
permit. The $40 - $60 annual fees for this license
are paid to the Commonwealth. This information can be
verified here:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/commercialfishing/nc-lobster_app.pdf
Note that divers can only acquire a "non-commercial"
lobstering permit if they meet the conditions above
and pay their fees.

4.) Competition
The MA Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife could provide
the data but the total lobsters taken by divers is a
tiny fraction of the lobster taken by commercial
lobstermen. As pointed out by a lobsterman in one of
your articles, most divers are limited to shore
access. This means divers only get to fish for
lobster during the summer months when lobsters are
abundant and the prices are the lowest. Divers are
not able to get lobster beyond this relatively short
time frame. Outside of the warmest summer months,
commercial lobstermen are farther from shore tending
their traps without any proximity to divers.

Thanks for your time.

--Matt<<

Your letter to the editor made today's Merrimack Journal. As soon as get link, will post.

 

[matt_unique]

The Editor required me to limit the article to 400 words (I had originally written it at about 650 words). I had to cut out a few things but hopefully the most relevant points were covered.

 

[reefseal]

Here's what made final print:

Cabinet.com | The CABINET PRESS INC | Covering Milford, Wilton, Amherst, Lyndeborough, Greenville, Mont Vernon, Jaffrey, Mason, Hollis, Brookline, Merrimack and Bedford, NH.

Recreational divers should have access to lobsters in this state

Published: Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008
Article Tools print
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To the Editor:

As a Massachusetts diver and transport captain I would like to present alternative views to those presented in the Dec. 21 and Jan. 18 articles concerning lobster diving in New Hampshire. I support New Hampshire divers and their desire to have recreational diving access to lobster.

There are just as many scenarios for lobstermen to break the rules as there are for divers: taking lobster from traps owned by another vessel, catching females and scraping the eggs off, rigging the traps without minimum clearances, etc.

I have been approached by the EP after a dive, yet I have never seen a lobster boat stopped for inspection by EP or USCG. The reality is a commercial lobsterman breaking the rules will have a far greater impact on the lobster stock and environment compared to a recreational diver taking a hand full of lobsters every year. This can only be addressed by enforcement for both groups.

It is a fact divers could not possibly affect the environment to the level of commercial lobstermen based on carrying capacity and necessary gear. In terms of disturbing a lobster as part of the fishing process, divers are required to check for eggs, size, and v-notch while still underwater. If any conditions are not met the diver releases the lobster where he/she caught it.

Lobstermen drag a trap to the surface while covering several hundred yards, do the necessary checks, and then throw the lobsters back into the water if they do not meet the regulations. The lobster must descend from the surface to a new hiding spot on the bottom dodging their predators on the way down.

It is also a common misconception that divers &#8220;flock&#8221; to Massachusetts because &#8220;they can take lobster.&#8221; Only Massachusetts residents or those temporarily living in a Massachusetts coastal town, or non- Massachusetts residents with property in Massachusetts in excess of $5,000 as evidenced by tax records may acquire a non-commercial lobster diving permit. The $40&#8211;$60 annual fees for this license are paid to the commonwealth. This information can be verified at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/commercialfishing/nc-lobster_app.pdf. Note that divers can only acquire a &#8220;non-commercial&#8221; lobstering permit if they meet the conditions above and pay their fees. New Hampshire could impose similar requirements to ensure their natural resource is protected.

As a natural resource, lobster stocks belong to all residents of New Hampshire.

CAPTAIN MATT FOSTER
Randolph, Mass.

 

[reefseal]

I managed to make contact with Catherine (Kathy) Corkery, the Sierra
Club Chapter Director for NH and and gained her support for the
Lobster Bill endeavor. We can benefit from their support and her
experience. She has has lobbied over the state house for the past 6
and has great relationships we can leverage. She has several ideas of what we as a dive community can be doing and other key contacts to socialize this with.

Her coordinates in case anyone wants to reach out to her:

Catherine M. Corkery
New Hampshire Sierra Club
#40 North Main Street, 2nd Floor
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603/224.8222
Fax: 603/224.4719
Sierra Club Home Page: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet