By Renee Worthing
Staff Writer


When Maine lobstermen decided they wanted a more scientific approach to lobster fishing, they partnered with other fishermen, scientists and other industry stakeholders to form Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (GOMLF) in Kennebunk, a non-profit established in 2001.
Executive Director Erin Pelletier said the foundation gathers scientific data on lobster and the Gulf of Maine ecosystem with the hope of improving management, ensuring healthy fisheries and sustaining the resources.
Pelletier said the foundation has long and short term goals – some already accomplished, others still in progress.
 The most recent and ongoing undertaking of GOMLF is the controversial “Bottom Line Project” designed to help defray the costs lobstermen face in order to comply with federal rules by October.
The National Marine Fisheries Service’s plan to reduce the number of injuries and deaths of large whales, including the North Atlantic Right whale, means lobstermen must convert from polymer floating ground line to sinking ground line by October.
Ground line, which connects traps to one another on the ocean floor, will no longer be allowed to float above the sea floor because of the potential risk of whales becoming entangled in them.
On May 20, lobstermen can turn in their floating ground line for a voucher at RC Moore at 8 Ginn Road, Scarborough.
“They will receive a voucher for $1.40 per pound of rope,” Pelletier said. “The voucher can be redeemed at one of about 25 rope dealers.”
The collected rope will be transported by RC Moore to Conigliaro Industries in Framingham, Mass. where it will be recycled into composite for such things as decking and park benches, Pelletier said.
“Some rope might be used to make lobster trap runners,” she said.
Pelletier said lobstermen are reluctant to turn in their gear because sinking lines present safety issues for the lobstermen as well as costs to replace the lines.
“Sinking lines can get hung up on rocks,” she said. “Or they can chafe on rocks and break. We’ll have ghost (abandoned) traps on the bottom of the ocean.”
She said because the traps cost about $100 each, lobstermen often grapple for the traps if they become disconnected from the ground line. That translates to lost time, in addition to the cost of replacing the ground lines and bait, Pelletier said.
While she said some lobstermen are resisting the change to sinking rope, the Ellsworth rope exchange in March netted 93,800 pounds of rope and 180,000 pounds of rope was brought in to the Rockland rope exchange in April.
“We anticipate about 250,000 pounds of rope will be brought in to Scarborough,” she said.
Because the foundation is issuing vouchers, lobstermen who plan to turn in floating ground ropes, must pre-register with GOMLF.
She also said it is important for lobstermen to receive instructions about how the rope should be cleaned, coiled and prepared to turn in.
Pelletier said another rope exchange would be scheduled before October.
GOMLF also has worked with Northeast Fisheries Science Center Oceanographer Jim Manning to monitor the temperature of the ocean bottom with the use of Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps (eMOLT). Pelletier said lobstermen volunteer to have temperature probes attached to their lobster traps that are kept at a fixed location throughout the year. When the trap is brought to the surface, lobstermen record the date, time, location of the trap and temperature recorded by the probe. Pelletier said in the future, the probes might be recorded by satellite and downloaded to a computer.
 She said the eMOLT program also helps determine how water temperatures affect the migration of lobster.
GOMLF also participates in the ventless trap project. Current regulations stipulate traps must have an escape route for sub-legal lobsters. A legal lobster taken in Maine must have a body shell length measuring between 3 1/4 inches and 5 inches. However, Pelletier said some lobstermen have a special permit to collect juvenile lobsters.  Collecting juvenile lobsters helps lobstermen determine how many lobsters will be legal the following year.
The project is also used to determine the impact of different traps, bait and water temperature on the abundance of sub-legal lobsters.
As part of the Maine Department of Marine Resources Sea Sampling program, observers accompany lobstermen out to sea to collect the traps. The samplers measure each lobster, noting the sex, v-notch, egg development stage and molt status.
She said program helps biologists to better understand the resource from a lobsterman’s perspective by seeing what lobstermen see each day.
“If I’m lucky, I get to go out, too,” Pelletier said. “It’s really fun.”
To register for the Scarborough rope exchange, call GOMLF at 985-8088.