Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

bubba1819 t1_iyn61wi wrote

Reply to comment by Bywater in Maine Dem (Jared Golden) Has Some Words for Biden After He Ordered 200 Lobsters for an Event at the WH by otakugrey

From my understanding Golden was calling Biden out for buying Maine lobsters for this dinner while not acting to support Maine lobster fishermen in any way. I’m personally not a Trump fan, but what his administration did to protect the fishermen was delay certain equipment requirements the fed put in place as a conservation effort for Right Whales. The issue with this equipment is that it was not available for fishermen to buy due to low stocks. If the trump administration didn’t intervene thousands of fishermen would have been forced to miss an entire season of fishing or fish and potentially be fined thousands of dollars for not using the correct equipment. The Biden administration threw this out the door. Luckily, the delay already implemented was long enough for the equipment to have become available. Also, Maine political figures have been reaching out to Biden administration officials asking for help regarding the Maine lobster fishing industry and have received nothing from the Biden Administration. So, from my understanding, Golden is basically saying WTF to Biden and his administration for enjoying Maine lobsters and using them to indulge foreign leaders while doing nothing to help the people that worked very hard to catch those lobsters for their very fancy dinner.

11

Bywater t1_iyn9817 wrote

So because of a EPA requirement that they have a particular kind of kit, that they already got an extension on because of Trumps bullshit, Joe Biden should not serve lobster at state dinners? Ya, that makes zero fucking sense.

I swear, I will never not be amazed with how much capitalism has done to destroy the environment both here, at sea, globally, you name it. How so many people loose their fucking minds whenever some kind of environmental regulation comes down that might effect them or the economy in any fucking way. I worked a Stern out of Harpswell before I was shaving, I have kin that lobstered for generations up until recently, I am in that "crowd" as it were. I was 100% on board with nothing but support for the fishermen out of the gate and have done a 180 at this point because every time they open their mouths they make me want to stick an icepick in my ear to dodge the bullshit they pushing.

I personally think we are all fucked, a few more keystone events, a couple low yield nuke exchanges over water in some place hot and sandy and it's going to be all she wrote for us. But if we can save something on the way out, even if just temporarily shouldn't we? I mean this is a 1billion dollar Maine industry they say, so does that mean they can't afford the kit they need? I mean I see the Bubs building custom racing boats, and rocking new trucks, are they really that close to the edge that these regulations are going to put them out of business? Because if the answer to that is "Well, no..." then they can pound sand.

0

bubba1819 t1_iyncc4b wrote

I understand your point of view. Someone could also point out, from a mindset similar to yours, is that Right Whales are also screwed either way. Right Whales feed entirely off of copepods which are being drastically impacted from climate change. The reason why Right Whale feeding grounds are changing so drastically is because copepods are migrating further and further north to survive. This is also why people are pointing out that the waters that need to be more heavily regulated are that in Canada and specifically the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is where the vast majority of whale deaths have occurred in the past 20 years. Perhaps both fishermen and right whales are set to go extinct no matter what.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/special-reports/maines-changing-climate/climate-change-is-pushing-food-source-for-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whale-further-out-to-sea/97-4a2bc7aa-e492-480e-81b8-87751412e242

2

Bywater t1_iynetmy wrote

I agree, long, long odds of the Right Whales making it. But I have never been one to just decide, "Welp, they are fucked..." just so people can keep eating lobster. Or better yet just because the guys who fish for lobster have to use a different rig to harvest it. I also said they needed to ensure that the Canadians were also in compliance, particularly the crab fisherman, but there is no way to make that pitch successfully to Canada without our own fishermen playing ball.

0

bubba1819 t1_iynftui wrote

I also want to point out that I don’t entirely disagree with you. I think you and I have similar values just that our views take slightly different paths, so to speak. I’m not entirely against new regulations on the fishery. I think the minimum number of traps per vertical line in federal waters is warranted, I also agree with the colored rope to track where entanglements are occurring, and I like the new break points in the middle of the vertical lines. I think these are good things. What I disagree with is rope-less rigging. I would even entertain changing the number of traps an inshore fishermen could fish vs offshore, but that’s just me.

Edited to add: I agree that we should do something to help Right Whales. I just think that we can do this in a way that helps Right Whales while keeping the fishery stable for a few more years.

3