04/22/2025
🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌎
The Maine lobster industry prides itself on being a sustainable industry. Maine lobstermen/lobsterwomen have been environmentally and eco-friendly for over 125 years. Lobsters are harvested by hand, one trap at a time, protecting the quality of the lobsters and the marine environment. Some of the regulations set in place to further this commitment include:
Tail Notching: Female lobsters with visible eggs cannot be harvested. Before releasing her, the harvester notches her tail to identify her as a good breeder, thus protecting her for life from being harvested.
Minimum Size Limit: Minimum 3 1/4″ carapace measurements allow juvenile lobsters the chance to mature and reproduce before they can be harvested.
Maximum Size Limit: Maximum 5″ carapace measurements protect the large, healthy breeding stock.
Apprentice Program: New harvesters must apprentice with veterans to learn the regulated, sustainable practices.
Trap Limits: The total number of traps per harvester is limited by the state and the individual lobster zones.
Harvest Method: Harvesting in Maine is by trap only — no dragging or diving is allowed. Traps include escape vents for undersized lobsters and biodegradable escape hatches to free lobsters in lost traps.
Lobster Seed Fund: Supported by license fees, the Fund purchases females that extrude their eggs after being harvested. This unique buy-back program helps to ensure that the good breeding stock is returned to the ocean to reproduce.
📷️stormborn.photography
