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April 23, 2013

Lobster bycatch bill hits snag

A bill to allow fishermen to land lobsters they pick up while dragging for groundfish was tabled Monday after members of a legislative committee encountered resistance to the proposal.

The Bangor Daily News reported hearings on the bill have been postponed until Wednesday to provide an opportunity to find middle ground on the controversial bill.

Supporters, a group that now includes the state's Department of Marine Resources, say allowing fishermen to land their lobster bycatch would help the groundfish industry, which has been hit with steep quota cuts in the last year. Lobstermen, on the other hand, have showed strong opposition to the bill.

Sen. Anne Haskell, the bill's sponsor, said that opposition from lobstermen in the state creates a tough hurdle for the proposal and for gaining support from members of the Marine Resources Committee, many of whom come from coastal communities where constituents fish for lobster.

Haskell said the bill's proponents, which includes the DMR, the city of Portland and the groundfishing industry, will try to come up with other options before Wednesday.

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