Warm the butter and break out the claw cracker: It's lobster season on the South Shore

Mary Whitfill, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read

MARSHFIELD – We're back, baby.

Lobstermen from the South Shore and all along the Massachusetts coast have dropped their traps into state waters for the first time this season after a ban on local fishing was extended this month to protect endangered right whales.

In what has become an annual tradition, the state's yearly fishing closure to protect right whales was extended until mid-May, cutting short a season already slashed in the name of species protection. The state sent out a notice to lobstermen April 29 – two days before the waters were supposed to open – that said the closure of 9,000 square miles of water would be extended through May 15 because of nearby whales.

An aerial survey to determine how many right whales are left along the coast was conducted Saturday, May 14, and lobstering was cleared to start Monday.

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"(The state Division of Marine Fisheries) appreciates the cooperation and patience of all the fishing industry participants and stakeholders," the agency said in a notice to lobstermen last weekend. "We are sensitive to the challenges these issues can have on fishers who are unable to make plans to begin their trap fishing season."

The goal of the annual closure is to reduce the chances of whales becoming entangled in fishing gear. Right whales are common in Cape Cod Bay during late winter and early spring, especially March and April.

According to the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, fewer than 350 right whales are still alive.

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Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, said seafood fans should shop local whenever they can.

"If people really want to buy the greenest, most conservation-friendly lobsters, they should ask for Massachusetts lobsters," she said.

Commercial lobstermen in Marshfield's Green Harbor dropped their traps in the water this week after a five-month ban on lobstering in state waters to protect right whales during winter migration. The docks were bustling on Monday, May 16, 2022.
Commercial lobstermen in Marshfield's Green Harbor dropped their traps in the water this week after a five-month ban on lobstering in state waters to protect right whales during winter migration. The docks were bustling on Monday, May 16, 2022.

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Lobster season starts, fishing closure ends on the South Shore