The lobstering industry is a part of our New England fabric. It's filled with tradition, heritage and hard work. It's generations after generations working the sea to support their families. And lately it seems their industry has unfairly come under fire. A non profit group in CA has placed American Lobster on their "Red List". It recommends that people don't eat it, store don't sell it, and restaurants not serve it.
The non profit makes claims that the ropes lobster fishermen and women use have injured and killed Right Whales. The problem is - that with all the types of lines/ropes used in ocean fishing- there is absolutely no proof that any whales that were killed - were the direct result of lobster lines. The lobstering industry has been working on changing how they fish and adapting to the changing environment - and yet their part of the fishing industry was the only one targeted by this non profit. It strikes me as wildly irresponsible, and grossly unfair to the lobster industry of Maine and NH. Many of those families could lose everything because of this. Nobody wants to see the Right Whales hurt in any way - and the lobstering industry has done much to change their methods to help save those very whales. And yet- they're the ones targeted by this non profit.
Stores like Whole Foods have dropped American Lobster from what they offer. I guess they have every right to do that, but I also have the right to not shop there until that ban on American lobster is dropped. I will do the same at restaurants and businesses that follow their lead.
I found this photograph series done by an excellent Maine photographer, Cheryl Clegg. It's called the "Endangered Lobstermen", and it's a collection of photos of actual families of working lobster men and women. It features their stories and the impact of this unfair targeting of their industry.
I think it's very well done- and wanted to share it with you. See it HERE
I think Cheryl's collection of photographs and stories puts faces- and hearts- to the story that everyone needs to see. Great work, Cheryl!
Fishing is a part of our collective New England tradition, and targeting it as the main cause of a problem without having any hard evidence is wrong.
I will stand with the men and women of the lobstering industry of ME and NH.
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