We have had put and take fishing for decades, along with put and take species for hunting, like pheasant and turkeys, etc. Now it looks as though put and take lobster fishing has begun. According to a report at Fox News, staff from a Stonington, Maine lobster hatchery, with the help of local lobstermen, have released thousands of tiny lobsters about a half-inch long into Penobscot Bay.

What’s puzzling and disturbing to me is what the Fox News report says about the reason for doing this.

The aim of the project is to provide young lobsters for traditionally good lobster fisheries that for whatever reason have become depleted.

“The idea is to place lobsters in good locations to rebuild the populations that have disappeared,” Ames said.

Those involved admittedly say there aren’t the number of lobsters in certain areas that there used to be but does this statement indicate they are clueless as to why? Wouldn’t it be prudent to spend time and a few bucks to first determine why there are few lobsters in Penobscot Bay before dumping more in hoping it works? Maybe the cost of putting the little lobsters into the bay is minimal.

The report also indicates that if this is successful, hatchery raised lobsters used for stocking will become commonplace.

“This is a critical step for the work we are doing to determine whether hatcheries can successfully enhance the fishery,” Ames said.

Tom Remington