reefseal
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From today's Union Leader - Merrimack Edition - Friday, Jan 4 2008 - Page B1
There is a shot of me I supplied them holding up a lobster. Contrary
to the caption in the article, the lobster was not caught by me
(misquoted) The lobster was caught by my dive buddy who has a lobster
license, off s. Cape Cod.
Any comments, send to jimkozubek@hotmail.com
LOCAL DIVER WANTS RIGHT TO CATCH LOBSTERS IN NH
*Seeks Legislation:
Critics say such recreational activity would cause harm.
By Jim Kozubek, Union Leader Correspondent
Merrimack - Luis Figueroa is lobbying for a bill that would enable
recreational divers to catch lobsters off the coast of New Hampshire.
"Why should a natural re-source be rested to so few?" asked Figueroa,
a town resident and diver since 1979. "People can harvest scallops,
and they can catch striped bass, and so why not lobsters?"
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department last issued 362 commercial
licenses and 216 recreational licenses. Recreational licenses allow
lobster trappers in boats to set five personal traps
Commercial licenses cost between $103 and $300 a year; recreational
licenses cost #45 a year.
Figueroa, 44, said state Rep. Maureen Mooney supports his proposal.
Barb Sylvestre, a dive instructor and owner of Aquatics Specialties in
town, said she also supports letting divers catch lobsters.
Among her "regular customers, that has always been a big request, "
Sylvestre said. "I don't see how it could hurt anything and it is our
shoreline."
Figueroa is lobbying to get a bill submitted this spring. United
Divers of New Hampshire, of which Figueroa is a member, said similar
House bills were shot down in 2003, 2004, and 2006.
The New Hampshire Commercial Fisherman's Association strongly opposes
any such such bill. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is
another opponent, said John Nelson, chief of marine fisheries for the
department.
Nelson said: "It's a bad idea for a number of reasons. Divers will be
turning over every rock they can find and killing the organisms on the
bottom of rocks that are light sensitive, and ripping the claws off
lobsters that they try to catch, and we don't need that kind of
pressure on our stock."
Figueroa said that it takes skill to catch a lobster and divers are
careful not to disrupt the environment.
"We don't lift up rocks, for the first thing, because those little
guys can swim 25 miles an hour," he said. "What we do is spot them in
a rock crevice and tickle their tails until the lobster comes, and
(then we) grab it."
Fish and Game Lt. Bruce Bonefant said the department has been
effective at catching and prosecuting recreational divers who take
lobsters. Fines range from $90 to $120, spending on a lobster's size
and whether it is an egg-bearing female.
Maine has bigger fines; Massachusetts allows divers to catch lobsters.
Bonefant said it would be difficult to get a bill passed without
support of commercial fisherman.
Figueroa said there have been instances when the lines of some of the
recreational traps have been cut by "very territorial" commercial
fisherman. Those competitive instincts should not be applied to
recreational divers, he said, because divers would probably take no
more than 1 percent of the catch from New Hampshire waters.
_________________
There is a shot of me I supplied them holding up a lobster. Contrary
to the caption in the article, the lobster was not caught by me
(misquoted) The lobster was caught by my dive buddy who has a lobster
license, off s. Cape Cod.
Any comments, send to jimkozubek@hotmail.com
LOCAL DIVER WANTS RIGHT TO CATCH LOBSTERS IN NH
*Seeks Legislation:
Critics say such recreational activity would cause harm.
By Jim Kozubek, Union Leader Correspondent
Merrimack - Luis Figueroa is lobbying for a bill that would enable
recreational divers to catch lobsters off the coast of New Hampshire.
"Why should a natural re-source be rested to so few?" asked Figueroa,
a town resident and diver since 1979. "People can harvest scallops,
and they can catch striped bass, and so why not lobsters?"
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department last issued 362 commercial
licenses and 216 recreational licenses. Recreational licenses allow
lobster trappers in boats to set five personal traps
Commercial licenses cost between $103 and $300 a year; recreational
licenses cost #45 a year.
Figueroa, 44, said state Rep. Maureen Mooney supports his proposal.
Barb Sylvestre, a dive instructor and owner of Aquatics Specialties in
town, said she also supports letting divers catch lobsters.
Among her "regular customers, that has always been a big request, "
Sylvestre said. "I don't see how it could hurt anything and it is our
shoreline."
Figueroa is lobbying to get a bill submitted this spring. United
Divers of New Hampshire, of which Figueroa is a member, said similar
House bills were shot down in 2003, 2004, and 2006.
The New Hampshire Commercial Fisherman's Association strongly opposes
any such such bill. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is
another opponent, said John Nelson, chief of marine fisheries for the
department.
Nelson said: "It's a bad idea for a number of reasons. Divers will be
turning over every rock they can find and killing the organisms on the
bottom of rocks that are light sensitive, and ripping the claws off
lobsters that they try to catch, and we don't need that kind of
pressure on our stock."
Figueroa said that it takes skill to catch a lobster and divers are
careful not to disrupt the environment.
"We don't lift up rocks, for the first thing, because those little
guys can swim 25 miles an hour," he said. "What we do is spot them in
a rock crevice and tickle their tails until the lobster comes, and
(then we) grab it."
Fish and Game Lt. Bruce Bonefant said the department has been
effective at catching and prosecuting recreational divers who take
lobsters. Fines range from $90 to $120, spending on a lobster's size
and whether it is an egg-bearing female.
Maine has bigger fines; Massachusetts allows divers to catch lobsters.
Bonefant said it would be difficult to get a bill passed without
support of commercial fisherman.
Figueroa said there have been instances when the lines of some of the
recreational traps have been cut by "very territorial" commercial
fisherman. Those competitive instincts should not be applied to
recreational divers, he said, because divers would probably take no
more than 1 percent of the catch from New Hampshire waters.
_________________