Summary
All together theirs had been a lot of lobster that has been caught, for basically no apparent reason. Most of the lobstermen that come through have habits of throwing back the female lobsters that are willing to produce the young lobsters in the future.
All of this fish that has been caught has reached a record high of 56.7 million pounds. Some think that since the lobsters have been fished so much they have increased. The traps that they have are designed so that the smaller lobsters can escape and grow on their own. Most of the fishermen have told others not to use the traps, so therefore the lobster population began to stay high.
Questions
1. How has the catch of lobsters changed over the past 15 years in the state of Maine? 2. What does Walter Day suggest needs to be done to keep the industry flourishing? 3. What are shorts? 4. What are eggers? 5. How are females carrying eggs marked? Why do they do this? 6. Why are oversized lobsters also thrown back? 7. Besides following the rules closely, what are some other ways the lobstermen of Vinalhaven protect the lobster crop? 8. Besides the lobstermen's efforts, what are other factors that may be influencing the numbers of lobsters? 9. There are signs that the numbers may be dropping. What are the plans to try and keeps the industry booming? 10. Would you become a lobsterman if you could? Why or why not?

Answers 1. The amount of lobster has increased around 20 million pounds over the 100-year average. 2. Just let them keep doing what they ben doing, or just leave them alone. 3. Small lobsters that you can keep. 4. Females carrying masses of roe on their underbellies. 5. By cutting a small V-shaped notch in their tail. They do this because so the lobstermen would know they were breading stock and they would throw them back. 6. Because they are considered super studs that produce bumper crops of young. 7. They don’t allow cheating and require apprenticeships of locals. 8. Because of the warmer currents and they make it a more desirable to larvae which makes predator fishes decreased which makes babies have better chance to survive. 9. Maine is working with other Atlantic states to strengthen lobster stocks. This plan emphasizes on V-notching, controlling new lobstermen. 10. Yes I would because it seems adventurous and deals with doing risky things and helping the environment of the other animals in need of help.