Lobster closure extended; Massachusetts fishermen prepare for shortened season

MARSHFIELD – The docks of Green Harbor were buzzing in the early morning this week as lobstermen washed their boats, loaded their traps and prepared to embark for the 2022 season, but it wasn't state waters they were headed for.

As has become an annual tradition, the state's yearly fishing closure to protect right whales has been extended until mid-May, cutting short a season already slashed in the name of species protection. The state sent out a notice to lobstermen Friday that the closure of 9,000 square miles of water, tentatively set to end May 1, would be extended through May 15 due to the presence of whales off the coast and near the Cape.

For now, Massachusetts lobstermen are restricted to fishing in federal waters, where the season started at midnight Sunday, May 1.

"There has always been the possibility, since the restriction was enacted eight years ago, that it would be extended to the 15th," Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, said. "For the last several years, the whales have just disappeared on the 15th. It's like someone shuts the lights off and all the food goes away."

Since 2015, regulations have banned the use of lobstering equipment from Feb. 1 until at least April 30 off Cape Cod Bay and beyond, shutting down the local industry for the winter. The goal is to reduce the chances of whales becoming entangled in the gear. Right whales are common in Cape Cod Bay during late winter and early spring, especially during March and April.

According to the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, fewer than an estimated 350 right whales are still alive. 

Saving right whales while preserving the lobster industry. Can it be done?

Whale scientists and conservationists have for years pushed the lobster industry to not fish near right whales, cap boating speed, use more environmentally friendly fishing gear take other precautions leaders say have made the job especially difficult. 

"What we try to convey is appreciation for the fishing industry's patience and their due diligence. A thank you goes a long way," Casoni said, adding a plea for seafood fans to shop local whenever they can. "If people really want to buy the greenest, most conservation-friendly lobsters, they should ask for Massachusetts lobsters."

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.