Comments
In_betweener t1_iymugo1 wrote
That's not what that YouTube ad said....
EDIT: Apparently I needed to an an /s here.
[deleted] t1_iyn1qzm wrote
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In_betweener t1_iyn1wge wrote
Whoa, Charlie. Lemme go put an /s at the end. Damn.
bubba1819 t1_iymnguo wrote
The Maine lobster fishing industry is responsible for an average of $1billion of the state’s economy each year. All of Maines politicians know this and this is why they are fighting the federal government so hard on this. Replacing $1 billion of revenue from the state is going to be extremely difficult if the lobster industry falls. Not to mention the lobster industry is major incentive for people to visit Maine as tourists. This issue affects everyone in this state whether you know it or not.
https://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/lobsters-claw-hold-on-maine-is-strong/
l3ubba t1_iyn0z38 wrote
I don’t disagree with you, however, I think the real threat to the lobster industry is climate change, not conservation efforts. I don’t want to see the Maine lobster fishery turn into what happened further south in New England, but that appears to be what we are on track for.
King_O_Walpole t1_iyn25jy wrote
I wish the government would just let it go. Let us (Maine) do what we do, conservation of the lobster and other fisheries.
If climate change kills the industry so be it, don’t let the whales and wind power kill it due to federal regulations for their lobbyists
Bywater t1_iyn3fz5 wrote
They tried that before, that's why they don't lobster in Long Island Sound anymore. They tried to say it was warming and pesticides, both of which are clearly at play and not a good thing but a couple studies have pointed out it was mostly just overfishing. That is why you see a lot of the hoops our fisherman jump through in play up here and federal oversite as capitalists going to exploit and all that.
King_O_Walpole t1_iyn5nhk wrote
Dude over fishing of lobster is not a concern at all in Maine
Maine has the best conservation rules in place for any industry.
If overfishing kills the Maine lobster industry it’s because NH and MA allow landing of what Maine considers illegal lobsters, oversized and egg bearing.
The Darling Marine center has proven this.
Climate change will impact where lobsters migrate just like the shrimp! It’s not over fishing in Maine it’s climate change.
No more regulations are needed.
Bywater t1_iyn7hw7 wrote
> Dude over fishing of lobster is not a concern at all in Maine
Your assessment that "there is no concern" does not match up with the amount of regulation we have. Climate change, if it does actually get to warm for them, will just kill them. They can not survive the lack of O2 at the depths needed to maintain that temp, they won't be migrating anywhere.
King_O_Walpole t1_iyn8kg0 wrote
There is no concern due to the regulations, which are in place for conservation efforts.
You’re a special kind of soap box warrior.
My families been fishing for over 100years. Lobster, scallops, shrimp, halibut, clams, periwinkles.
I know for a fact I understand the situation better than most, I lived it my entire life. It is in my blood.
crenk3130 t1_iynbke3 wrote
if that is your attitude towards sustainable harvesting and ocean conservation i’d suggest you teach the next generation of your family a new skill.
King_O_Walpole t1_iyndwit wrote
I love all you SJW thinking I’m against conservation.
99% of lobsterman are more conservationist than you soapbox preachers.
We follow the rules, even when they are flawed, and voice our opposition against the flawed “models” scientists use.
I’m sorry but I’m not gonna be swayed by a nerd in Oklahoma who stares at a computer all day working for the feds and comes up with “lobster is overfished”. Boots on the ground experience says otherwise.
Are lobsters numbers going down, yes, due to the warming of the gulf of Maine. No rules or regulations will change that.
[deleted] t1_iynepuc wrote
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bubba1819 t1_iyn6y8e wrote
Well said. 👍
l3ubba t1_iyn2f7d wrote
That’d be fine if it didn’t also impact the rest of the country. Maine isn’t some isolated island away from the rest of the world. What happens in one state can impact other states, especially when we are talking about climate change and environmental factors.
bubba1819 t1_iyn3t2u wrote
It is true that climate change will most likely cause the industry to ultimately fall. However, that will be years to decades down the road giving us time to diversify in the meantime. The conservation efforts that are being made do not give anyone enough time to diversify.
crenk3130 t1_iynb11o wrote
“years or decades” yeah bub that’s pretty fuckin soon if you ask me. the only people i know that think like that are the “i’ll be in the ground long before then” types, and they’re all self-centered dicks.
bubba1819 t1_iynbk2f wrote
I’m not saying decades isn’t soon. Just that 10 years is 10 years that someone can use to change how they make money to keep their home and pay their bills. 10 years vs 2 years is a hell of a difference when it comes to how a person makes a living.
crenk3130 t1_iyndu5v wrote
this is nonsensical but i’ll entertain it. if the population that you’re giving that extra 8 years to is SO dead set in their ways that they won’t change now, why is giving them 8 extra years going to change anything? the gulf of maine is the second fastest warming body of water in the world and has been for a decade; that is NOT new information. ocean acidification and de-salinization is making it harder for lobsters, crabs, clams, etc. to develop and maintain their shells, which will impact future harvests as a higher percentage of young populations fail to mature. so, as these things CONTINUE to occur to a greater extent, what THEN will be the incentive for lobsterman to change after a decade of being the pampered by people who don’t want to tell them the hard truth of their situation, that their industry WILL DIE absent widespread intervention and reform.
lobsterman can keep burying their heads into the sand if they want but i guess i just don’t want to hear about it when the bottom falls out on a group of workers who are belligerently resistant to any and all changes
bubba1819 t1_iynk70v wrote
I don’t see how this is nonsensical at all as I am living proof of a fishermen leaving the industry. My entire lively good used to depend on lobster fishing and as I learned more and more about the vast impacts climate change would have on my livelihood, I took the slow arduous task of getting out of the industry and moving to a different part of the state. It was a hard process and I was lucky enough not to have to worry about how I was going to support a child in the process. I was also lucky enough that I didn’t have to worry about a boat payment or a mortgage. If I had those two things I wouldn’t have been able to walk away so easily. I’m also not the only one. I know of quite a few fishermen that are seeing the warning signs and have either entirely gotten out of the fishery or are diversifying their income. Many are starting up small aquaculture farms such as farming kelp. I know some lobster pound owners are starting to raise oysters in their pounds to diversify their incomes. Are some fishermen entirely ignorant of accepting that climate change is real? Yes, there are, but there are also many that have an all to real understanding of it.
Also want to point out that I have a Marine Biology degree and have participated in scientific studies on how ocean acidification may impact shellfish. So I have a pretty good understanding how all this works.
capt_jazz t1_iymzq67 wrote
"That all being said, such Maine politicians may ultimately have themselves to blame. As Steve Robinson noted for Maine Wire in October, "Maine Congressional delegation backed HUGE spending increases for agency threatening lobster industry," referring to funding increases for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA). "
This is such bullshit, you can support funding for a federal agency while still having concerns about the way some of their regulations are applied. Also, you can't just blame NOAA or President Biden, they're simply following the letter of the law of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which was signed into law way back in 1972.
TarantinoFan23 t1_iynlfc1 wrote
Maybe the state could run a "lobster gear" tracking system. Like, the crews report lost gear, ect. If the whole issue is whales get cayght in gear, there should be a way to address the problem with a less heavy hand.
bubba1819 t1_iynpvbp wrote
Yup, that’s part of one of the new whale entanglement regulations that have recently been implemented. Fishermen now have to put a length of a certain colored rope in a couple segments of each vertical line. This is so that if a whale becomes entangled they will know if it came from Maine waters and roughly what part of Maine waters it got entangled in. It’s a pain in the ass for the fishermen but I think it’s a great thing, for now we can actually get data on how many whales are getting entangled in Maine fishing gear.
Slice-O-Pie t1_iynrm39 wrote
Golden: "Please support the lobster industry!"
Also Golden: "No, not like that."
TheMobyDicks t1_iymczs8 wrote
Smart, concise, timely and accurate.
Probably the best tweet I've seen from a politician. Damn good job.
Notmystationbro t1_iylnjcq wrote
Rules for thee but not for me
PolarBlueberry t1_iynwsyd wrote
Maybe I'm not looking into this deep enough, but wouldn't buying 200 Maine lobsters be supporting Maine lobster? He could have served salmon.
MaineJackalope t1_iypa0vt wrote
Ordering lobster after your administration has decided to do massive damage to the industry that provides is a bit hypocritical
Bywater t1_iyn44o1 wrote
So wait, Golden wants them to boycott lobsters because Biden got rid of Trumps waiver to force a kind of fishing tack in order to protect Whales? I mean that is a bold move Cotton, lets see how it plays out...
bubba1819 t1_iyn61wi wrote
From my understanding Golden was calling Biden out for buying Maine lobsters for this dinner while not acting to support Maine lobster fishermen in any way. I’m personally not a Trump fan, but what his administration did to protect the fishermen was delay certain equipment requirements the fed put in place as a conservation effort for Right Whales. The issue with this equipment is that it was not available for fishermen to buy due to low stocks. If the trump administration didn’t intervene thousands of fishermen would have been forced to miss an entire season of fishing or fish and potentially be fined thousands of dollars for not using the correct equipment. The Biden administration threw this out the door. Luckily, the delay already implemented was long enough for the equipment to have become available. Also, Maine political figures have been reaching out to Biden administration officials asking for help regarding the Maine lobster fishing industry and have received nothing from the Biden Administration. So, from my understanding, Golden is basically saying WTF to Biden and his administration for enjoying Maine lobsters and using them to indulge foreign leaders while doing nothing to help the people that worked very hard to catch those lobsters for their very fancy dinner.
technosquirrelfarms t1_iyoymmu wrote
You nailed it
Bywater t1_iyn9817 wrote
So because of a EPA requirement that they have a particular kind of kit, that they already got an extension on because of Trumps bullshit, Joe Biden should not serve lobster at state dinners? Ya, that makes zero fucking sense.
I swear, I will never not be amazed with how much capitalism has done to destroy the environment both here, at sea, globally, you name it. How so many people loose their fucking minds whenever some kind of environmental regulation comes down that might effect them or the economy in any fucking way. I worked a Stern out of Harpswell before I was shaving, I have kin that lobstered for generations up until recently, I am in that "crowd" as it were. I was 100% on board with nothing but support for the fishermen out of the gate and have done a 180 at this point because every time they open their mouths they make me want to stick an icepick in my ear to dodge the bullshit they pushing.
I personally think we are all fucked, a few more keystone events, a couple low yield nuke exchanges over water in some place hot and sandy and it's going to be all she wrote for us. But if we can save something on the way out, even if just temporarily shouldn't we? I mean this is a 1billion dollar Maine industry they say, so does that mean they can't afford the kit they need? I mean I see the Bubs building custom racing boats, and rocking new trucks, are they really that close to the edge that these regulations are going to put them out of business? Because if the answer to that is "Well, no..." then they can pound sand.
bubba1819 t1_iyncc4b wrote
I understand your point of view. Someone could also point out, from a mindset similar to yours, is that Right Whales are also screwed either way. Right Whales feed entirely off of copepods which are being drastically impacted from climate change. The reason why Right Whale feeding grounds are changing so drastically is because copepods are migrating further and further north to survive. This is also why people are pointing out that the waters that need to be more heavily regulated are that in Canada and specifically the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is where the vast majority of whale deaths have occurred in the past 20 years. Perhaps both fishermen and right whales are set to go extinct no matter what.
Bywater t1_iynetmy wrote
I agree, long, long odds of the Right Whales making it. But I have never been one to just decide, "Welp, they are fucked..." just so people can keep eating lobster. Or better yet just because the guys who fish for lobster have to use a different rig to harvest it. I also said they needed to ensure that the Canadians were also in compliance, particularly the crab fisherman, but there is no way to make that pitch successfully to Canada without our own fishermen playing ball.
bubba1819 t1_iynftui wrote
I also want to point out that I don’t entirely disagree with you. I think you and I have similar values just that our views take slightly different paths, so to speak. I’m not entirely against new regulations on the fishery. I think the minimum number of traps per vertical line in federal waters is warranted, I also agree with the colored rope to track where entanglements are occurring, and I like the new break points in the middle of the vertical lines. I think these are good things. What I disagree with is rope-less rigging. I would even entertain changing the number of traps an inshore fishermen could fish vs offshore, but that’s just me.
Edited to add: I agree that we should do something to help Right Whales. I just think that we can do this in a way that helps Right Whales while keeping the fishery stable for a few more years.
Round_Association268 t1_iyok438 wrote
Didn't Trump impose tariffs on China, one of the largest Maine lobster exporters.
Yourbubblestink t1_iynk397 wrote
Boy is golden out to lunch on this one. The Chinese literally think the Covid started with the lobsters in Wuhan. They’re not buying them anymore. Whole Foods thinks that they’re killing whales. They’re not buying them anymore. Maybe the Europeans will buy them.
mymaineaccount46 t1_iynr513 wrote
If lobsters become cheap enough I'll buy enough to single handedly save the industry. I'll make that sacrifice for Maine.
Yourbubblestink t1_iynrhk9 wrote
The cost of fuel will prevent that sadly
professor_cheX t1_iypd3av wrote
Maine fishermen need to work together to add financial leverage to their advocacy/policy group. MA, CT and Canada are decades ahead and have better funding.
LumpyBumpyToad t1_iyzgm58 wrote
Man... I wish Jared Golden had had tough words for... I dunno... terrorists, traitors, insurrectionists... those who led, aided, abetted and sheltered them. Covered for them, lied for them, and lied to them and for them, driving them to violence?
Jared will always be a disappointment to me: brave enough to go help kill brown people for not my freedom and demand constant credit and recognition for it...
Completely fucking spineless in the face of fascist assaults on our democracy. But lobstahs, Jared. Lobstahs.
frozenhawaiian t1_iyp8rzk wrote
This is what biden thinks “supporting fishermen means” same as how he seemed to think that forcing that contract down the the rail workers throats is him “supporting the workers”
baxterstate t1_iyn88ja wrote
This is just posturing. Golden voted with Biden over 90%.
Biden carried Maine in2020, and despite the stupid stuff Biden does and says (like his recent comments on guns), Biden will carry Maine again in 2024.
IamSauerKraut t1_iymhhcw wrote
No one is currently regulating anyone out of business. Plus, affects just a small, small segment if it ever comes to pass.
ptmtp26 t1_iymdzgo wrote
I like golden. I’m not a democrat, and I’m not in the 2nd district. However that man is what a politician should be. He stands up for his district and he stands up for what he believes in, not just what his party superiors tell him to believe in.