The Endangered Lobsterman
Photographer: Cheryl Clegg
Exhibit Title: The Endangered Lobsterman
Location: United States
In my new series,(started Sept.2022),“The Endangered Lobsterman” I am putting a human face on all of those that are at risk of losing their livelihood and their way of life because of impending new fishing regulations to help save the endangered Right Whale.
The Endangered Lobstermen
On September 8, 2022, the non-profit, Monterey Bay Aquarium put American lobster on it’s seafood watch “red list,” telling all to avoid buying lobster. The reason was not because lobster is over fished, it is because of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. There are 350 endangered North Atlantic Right Whales left and the non-profit believes less lobstering will save more Right Whales. The claim is that the whales are constantly getting entangled in fishing gear. As a long time Maine visitor for over 30 years I know the fishermen have changed gear in order to protect the Right Whale. They have not only changed the type of rope, but have put in weak links for the whale to break through. The last time there was an entanglement of a Right Whale attributed to Maine fishing gear was 2004, 18 years ago. Immediately following the “red list" announcement of lobster, businesses such as, Hello Fresh & Blue Apron, eliminated lobster as one of their offerings.
In my new series, “The Endangered Lobsterman” I am putting the human faces that are at risk of losing their livelihood and their way of life. It is not just one person in the family who fishes, it is the entire family whose livelihood revolves around the lobster industry.
Lobstering is a family business. If you are part of a lobster fishing family in Maine, most likely your parents, grandparents, great grandparents and great great grandparents were also lobstermen. You started out on the boat in some cases as an infant sleeping in a crate, with Mom & Dad pulling their traps. As you got older you were up before the sun with your mother, father, grandparent or Aunt & Uncle, filling the bait bags as the traps were hauled. You learned how to fish responsibly, not keeping any lobster that wasn’t mature enough, and you notched the females, so the population would thrive. You took the apprenticeship classes in high school, and got your junior lobster fishing license to continue the family tradition. You saved your earnings from your catch & bought your first boat, traps and worked the 9 years to get your full license. The early mornings continued as you started your family and the cycle began again.
There are close to 5000 commercially licensed lobster fishermen & 1085 licensed student lobster fishermen in the state of Maine who are facing new regulations that will threaten their livelihood. The impending new regulations are asking for a 90% risk reduction to the 350 endangered Right Whales that are left. The lobstermen and supporting businesses are facing an uncertain future and the whole state of Maine will be impacted.
Update: Dec. 2022, The lobster fishing community of Maine was given a lifeline after the Maine delegation to Congress put a clause in the annual spending bill to pause the new regulations (which were suggested to decrease the probability of harm by 90% to the endangered Right Whale, by a reduction of gear and more fishing restrictions) to the lobster fishing community for six years.
The Maine Lobstermen's Association and their legal department now have more time to prove their case in court. This does not mean the threat to the lobster fishing community is over.
Cheryl Clegg
e: cherylcleggphoto@verizon.net
cleggphoto.com
IG: @cherylcleggphoto
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