Lobstermen see controversial fishing gear in action for the first time

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 20, 2025

On Tuesday, the Maine Department of Marine Resources held its first public demonstration day, where anyone — in and out of the industry — could see how ropeless lobstering gear, still being developed, could work. And for some lobstermen, it felt like the first time the state was listening. State officials and representatives of fishing groups weren’t there to convince anyone that the equipment, meant to curb whale entanglements, worked. They knew it would be a losing battle. The traps get plunged into the water, sinking to the bottom until they’re summoned with the tap of a button. The lobstermen were skeptical, at best.