Tension thaws over whale plan between lobstermen, feds

[Judi Lynn]

Patrick Whittle, Associated Press Updated 10:27 am CDT, Sunday, October 20, 2019



Photo: Michael Dwyer, AP
FILE - In this March 28, 2018 file photo, a North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass. A group representing Maine's lobstermen is signaling a willingness to work with the federal government on a plan to protect right whales after pulling its support this summer.


PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A group representing Maine's lobstermen says it's now willing to work with the federal government on a plan to protect right whales after withdrawing its support for the plan this summer.

The Maine Lobstermen's Association is one of the key stakeholders in an effort to better protect the North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 400 and are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear. A federal plan that's being developed to help save the whales would remove miles of lobster trap rope from the waters off Maine.

The lobstermen's association issued a public statement on Oct. 11 saying it appreciates that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service has offered a "constructive response" to its concerns about whale protection.

However, the statement also says the lobstermen still think the whale plan focuses too much on new restrictions for their industry. The organization said it believes NOAA Fisheries should also consider the impact other fisheries have on the whales.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Tension-over-whale-plan-between-lobstermen-feds-14548274.php