Plan for stricter lobster fishing rules delayed as species shows decline in babies

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishing regulators are delaying a plan for stricter fishing rules amid concerns about a decline in baby lobsters in the warming waters off New England. The regulators are looking to institute a new rule that fishermen need to abide by a larger minimum size for the lobsters they trap. The change is only 1/16th of an inch or 1.6 millimeters, but regulators have said it will help preserve the population of the valuable crustaceans. Fishermen have argued that the change will represent a hardship for them. The commission voted Monday to push back the implementation of the change from Jan. 1 to July 1, 2025.