DMR Proposes Plan For Whale Protection

ELLSWORTH—Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Pat Keliher faced a half-filled auditorium of lobstermen and other industry stakeholders at The Grand on Monday, November 4.

- Anne Berleant

The topic, once again, was how to meet a federally mandated rule to reduce the risk of right whale entanglements by 60 percent, as it was at a NOAA-led meeting in Ellsworth August 13.

At both meetings, local lobstermen pushed back against federal regulations for reasons including safety and their own livelihood in the $565 million per year fishery, of which Stonington is the highest grossing port.

However, on Monday, Keliher, using feedback from that summer meeting, drafted a plan that differs by having lobstermen “trawl up,” or put more traps on a line, based on how far out they’re fishing. The same would be used to determine how many weak points integrated into a line are needed. Weak points are used so the rope breaks at a strength equivalent to 1,700 pounds, the strength at which a right whale can break free of entanglement.

Maine-specific gear marking is also part of the draft plan, as is 100 percent harvester reporting. Both would help determine whether right whales found dead from entanglements died in Maine waters. Harvester reporting, a rule already passed by the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Council, will provide data on the number of vertical lines in the water, as many lobstermen buy 800 tags each year but fish fewer traps, because of the difficulty in increasing the number of tags after using fewer the previous year.