YORK — Some southern Maine lobstermen are upset that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel is inadvertently cutting their fishing lines and traps.
NOAA’s ship is working off the York coast to map the depths for new nautical charts. Mike Sinclair, president of the York Lobstermen’s Association, told the paper he estimates NOAA vessels have caused $25,000 in gear losses since 2009. The ships have worked off the York coast four times since then.
The York Lobstermen’s Association includes about 50 lobstermen, and other fishermen also fish out of York Harbor. Sinclair says NOAA reimburses lobstermen $80 for each lost trap.
A NOAA official told the Herald that the administration failed to notify Maine lobstermen of a schedule change, and apologizes.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.