Lobstermen: Black sea bass threaten lobster fishery
Black sea bass moving northward as waters warm off the coast of New England has some commercial fishermen and lobstermen worrying that the sea bass are threatening lobsters in the region, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
Some fishermen are pushing for higher quotas and less restrictions for the sea bass fishery because sea bass prey on lobsters, a much more economically important species.
Black sea bass are growing in commercial value, worth a record $8.5 million-plus in 2013, according to the AP. Lobsters were worth more than $460 million in 2013, another record.
Marc Hoffman, a Long Island, N.Y., recreational bass fisherman who sits on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission advisory panel for sea bass, told the AP that a major quota increase is needed because black sea bass are wiping out lobsters.
But scientists with the commission say more research is needed to determine how abundant the species is in New England waters. The fish is often caught in the mid-Atlantic states, but a quarter were caught off of New England in 2013.
Maine recently established a commercial fishery for the species, and New Hampshire fishermen have expressed interest starting one, state officials told the AP.
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