BEDFORD, NH – Now starting its 21st year, Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association (AOLA) has much to show for its efforts in advocacy and research and its cooperative approach to problem solving.
From the beginning, the Bedfordbased nonprofit organization has been the primary voice for offshore lobstermen fishing in Lobster Conservation Management Area 3 (LCMA 3), a 197-mile wide swath of ocean floor from Maine to North Carolina, actively engaging with federal and regional agencies and organizations that can impact offshore lobster harvesting.
F/V Lady Claire photo
AOLA is involved in a number of lobster research initiatives, including collecting data on offshore juveniles. Lobster scientists were skeptical that the tiny lobsters populated the offshore depths until AOLA members brought volumes of juveniles to their attention. Above, a juvenile trapped offshore by the F/V Lady Claire in June 2011 measures slightly more than 5 cm.
At right, lobster aboard the F/V Debbie Ann in 2010. Two quarters were placed by the carapace to show its approximate length..
F/V Debbie Ann photo
Read the rest and much, much more in the April issue of Commercial Fisheries News. Read online immediately and download for future reference.