BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 30, 2022
In 1872, 150 years ago, when my great, great grandfather was fishing out of Boothbay Harbor, the Legislature passed the first law banning taking of egg-bearing female lobster, a conservation measure already practiced by many Maine lobstermen at the time. Over and over again, the state of Maine and the lobstering industry have stepped up to the plate to sustain the lobstering industry. Maine fishermen have also been a leader in North Atlantic right whale conservation efforts replacing 27,000 miles of floating line with whale-safe sinking line. Maine is the model of sustainability and conservation, not the problem. Penalizing the 4,500 lobstermen and women and the thousands of other small businesses benefitting from the lobster fishery will hurt businesses, families, communities and the economy of Maine but likely not improve the outlook for the North Atlantic right whale. ~ Marge Kilkelly, Dresden, former member of Maine House and Senate