32 Proceedings Summer 2025 Since 2017, scientists estimated that more than 20% of the right whale population has sustained injury and faced sickness, or death.6 In addition to injury from fish- ing gear entanglements and vessel strikes, right whale mortality has been associated with changing weather patterns, changes to ocean temperatures and salin- ity, and ocean noise. As ocean temperatures rise, right whales appear to be following their prey, moving to locations with fewer protections against vessel strikes and gear entanglements. Finally, anthropogenic ocean noise from ships, construction, and energy exploration can interfere with right whale communication, affect- ing their ability to find food and mates while avoiding predators and other hazards.7 Lobster’s Economic and Cultural Importance in Maine and Massachusetts In contrast to right whales, the American lobster popula- tion is thriving in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. This bottom-dwelling species is found predominantly on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms in inshore waters from Maine to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Data collected by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission indicates that the American lobster population has been increasing since 1982 despite an annual increase in the number of lobsters caught over the same time period.8 While research indicates that rising ocean temperatures and changes in salinity may be influencing local popula- tions, leading lobster stocks originating in the Southern New England to migrate north, the overall abundance of lobster can be attributed to cooperative management and robust fisheries regulations that have been in place since the early 2000s.9 In fact, Patrice McCarron, execu- tive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, claims that “lobster is one of the most sustainable fisher- ies in the world due to the effective stewardship practices handed down through generations.”10 The American lobster fishery plays a vital role in Maine, contributing not just to the state’s economy, but to its culture. In addition to the 5,000 licensed fishers, Maine’s lobster industry employs more than 12,000 peo- ple and contributes more than $1 billion to the state’s annual economy.11, 12 Moreover, a 2008 study found “lob- ster culture” greatly influences the state’s coastal tour- ism industry, noting that “lobster is an iconic element of Maine’s coastal tourism experience, along with tour- ing small villages, lighthouses and viewing the indig- enous wildlife.”13 Whale watching also plays a large role in both the Maine and Massachusetts economies. A recent Emerson College and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation study indicated that whale watching opera- tions in vicinity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts contributes $76 million in labor income and $182 million in sales annually to the local community.14 Potential Policy Option: On-Demand Fishing Gear To balance protecting right whales while also allowing lobster fishing to continue, NOAA Fisheries’ collabora- tive Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team is work- ing on a solution involving fishing gear modifications using breakaway technology or innovative ropeless or on-demand traps. On-demand lobster traps allow fishers to use time- release or acoustic technology to locate traps and activate attached carbon dioxide canisters that inflate flotation devices that allow fishers to retrieve the traps.15 This tech- nology removes the need for the long, vertical rope that connects the trap sitting on the ocean floor to a buoy at the surface, which lobster fishers traditionally would use to locate and retrieve their traps. NOAA Fisheries main- tains a “Gear Library” consisting of various donated on- demand prototypes from environmental and academic organizations that fishers and researchers sign out and test, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries completed a yearlong Ropeless Fishing Gear Feasibility Study in 2022 to assess “fishing, legal, regulatory, tech- nological challenges and opportunities.”16 Costs Associated with On-Demand Fishing Gear Substitution While the use of on-demand gear seems to offer the best compromise between all stakeholders, cost appears to be the largest obstacle to implementation. Massachusetts’ feasibility study identified that “most lobster fishermen are owner-operators and profit margins are often thin across segments of the industry,” making it difficult for fishers to pay the estimated $200,000 to $400,000 to swap out their traditional gear for new on-demand gear.17 Commercially available on-demand traps currently cost up to $8,000 each.18 Recent research, however, suggests the cost of on-demand gear will likely decline as more fishers adopt the technology—production of the traps will become cheaper due to economies of scale and learn- ing.19 Furthermore, while time release is less expensive, more expensive acoustic versions could have other cost- saving features such as the ability to collect informa- tion such as trap count, which would enable fishers to know the optimal time to return to their traps once filled, reducing overall fishing costs with respect to fuel and crewmember time.20, 21 Additional Advantages: Protecting Other Species and the Boating Community While widespread use of on-demand fishing gear may not prove timely enough to protect the current right whale population, it will almost certainly help protect other endangered species, as well as members of the
