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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 11
July 2007
CT pushes lobster v-notch as swap for 3-3/8" gauge
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Although Addendum XI to the interstate lobster plan calls for a uniform 3-3/8" minimum gauge for Areas 2, 4, 5, and 6, the state of Connecticut is moving forward with a “conservation equivalency” proposal that would substitute a comprehensive v-notch program for Area 6 in lieu of gauge increases. The area currently operates under a 3-5/16" minimum gauge.
During the May 8 meeting of the American Lobster Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), Connecticut Commissioner Eric Smith said he could not support Addendum XI unless the board agreed to several “conditions.”
First, he said, “It has to be crystal clear that Area 6 intends to use conservation equivalency with v-notch instead of gauge increases.”
Furthermore, Smith said he viewed any action on Addendum XI as “a vote to get us going” and not an end-all to management for Area 6.
On Aug. 14, 2006, the board endorsed the concept of the proposal, which triggered the release of a $1 million appropriation from the Connecticut General Assembly for a “v-notch based stock restoration program” for Long Island Sound.
Now, with New York’s support, Connecticut’s goal is to have the formal program – with all of the details – submitted to ASMFC in June for technical review. The only significant hurdle remaining, said Smith, is acquiring adequate insurance coverage for program participants.
The reason this has been particularly difficult is because the state will be working with students, most of whom will be under the age of 18.
The way the program was designed, students from three marine-oriented Connecticut high schools will ride aboard commercial lobster vessels to v-notch lobsters and record data.
As it turns out, obtaining insurance to cover kids – even ones with a keen interest in fishing activities – is significantly harder than insuring adults.
Program details
From the start, the majority of Area 6 lobstermen from both Connecticut and New York supported the program in principle, but many had serious problems with two of its measures, which have since been changed in response to industry opposition.
First, lobstermen fiercely opposed the program’s initial “zero tolerance” v-notch definition. Now, the program will utilize the same 1/8" definition adopted by ASMFC for the rest of the Southern New England stock area under Addendum XI.
Second, many lobstermen opposed the idea of v-notching sublegal females. Program developers originally talked about notching females that had reached sexual maturity but not the legal minimum size. In Long Island Sound, lobsters can reach sexual maturity at 3".
However, given the negative reaction, program organizers agreed to only notch 3-5/16" or larger females.
Once the full-scale program gets underway, participating lobstermen will be paid for notched lobsters at fair market value.
Volunteers get going
Given the fact that lobsters in Long Island Sound already are subject to numerous stressors, program participants will stop v-notching once water temperatures reach or exceed 68°F.
The months of May and sometimes June are about the last ones when water temperatures are likely to stay below 68°, so several Area 6 lobstermen agreed to kick-start the operation even though the full-scale program wasn’t ready. They began making voluntary trips in May.
And teachers – not students – from the marine-oriented schools agreed to donate their time to enable the operation to happen.
The one difference is that under this voluntary effort, mature but not keeper lobsters are being notched, meaning lobsters between 3" and 3-5/16".
Officials stress that this will not take place under the full-scale program.
ASMFC decision
Once the insurance issue is settled, Connecticut will submit the v-notch conservation equivalency proposal to ASMFC’s lobster technical committee for review, and Smith hopes the review will be completed in time for the board’s next meeting in mid-August.
States don’t have to have their Addendum XI implementation plans submitted to the board until November, but Smith said he wanted an earlier review so that Area 6 could respond to any technical concerns.
The next few months will be telltale.
State officials, industry, and the Lobster Restoration Advisory Committee, which was established through the Connecticut legislation that led to the $1 million appropriation, all contributed an enormous amount of time and effort to craft the Area 6 v-notch program.
But that doesn’t guarantee the lobster board will accept it as a fair swap for a 3-3/8" minimum gauge, and reservations were evident at the May 8 meeting.
“I have a problem with continuing delays for achieving consistency in minimum gauges,” said Rhode Island Commissioner Mark Gibson.
Smith said he recognized that Area 6 might be forced to accept the 3-3/8" minimum gauge if the board rejected the v-notch proposal or if the program fell through because the insurance issue couldn’t be resolved.
Should either of these events happen, Smith said he wanted Area 6 to have more flexibility in going to 3-3/8" and not have to increase to the new size by the June 2008 implementation deadline for Addendum XI.
Smith fought for a two-step approach with a gauge increase on Jan. 1, 2008 and another on Jan. 1, 2009.
But his motion failed.
Evaluation
Program supporters hope the gauge increase deadline won’t ever come into play and that Area 6 will be v-notching instead.
Smith asked the technical committee to be “as broad-minded as possible” in evaluating the conservation benefits of the v-notching program.
Recognizing that scientists prefer measures that are “quantifiable” in terms of conservation benefits, Smith said, “We need for the technical committee to broadly consider all the tools we use to decrease mortality.”
Janice M. Plante
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