Ropes that link lobster traps together
With an estimated population of fewer than 500, the North Atlantic right whale is regarded as one of the most endangered whale species in the world. In the spring and summer, they migrate to feeding grounds in Northeastern waters, including the Gulf of Maine.
Regulators grew concerned that too many of them were getting seriously hurt or killed after becoming tangled up in floating fishing lines. So in 2009 they began requiring lobstermen to use sinking ground lines - ropes that link lobster traps together on the ocean floor.
Five years later, more gear modifications are on the way. Next June, lobstermen outside a certain exemption zone will have to reduce the number of vertical lines going into the water by attaching more traps to a single rope.
Kim Erwin Tucker says "enough is enough." She's an attorney for the Maine Lobstering Union, which represents about 600 of the state's 5,000 or so lobstermen. In August, the MLU issued a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The combination of the sinking ground line rule, with the requirement to increase the number of traps you put on a single trawl using a single vertical line buoy, increases the risk of lost gear," Tucker says.