On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 14:51:23 -0500, "Jeff Morris"
wrote:

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote in message I have cruised
the Maine coast since the late 1970s, and have gone
into Tenants and Stonington on many occasions. I haven't noticed any
vast increase in trap density.

The last time I snagged a potwarp was in 1981, on a chartered boat
with a non-folding prop. Indeed, all three of my snags were with that
same boat. Never a problem since.

That's not what the State of Maine says.

Lobster traps have tripled in the last 35 years. I've only gone Down East a few
times since our daughter was born (we go to the Vineyard more now) but to my
eyes they've increased a lot. And the stats say the number of traps has
increased 50% since 1990.

http://www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/lobster/lobdata.htm

Perhaps Tenants hasn't got worse - I don't think its physically possible to get
worse since you can almost walk across on the pots. Stonington harbor itself
isn't too bad, but there are areas in and around Merchant's Row that have become
saturated.

I was replying specifically about Tenants and Stonington. It is true
that it would be hard to put more in there.

A lot of pots are placed in quite deep water these days. I suspect
that is a lot of the state increase. The increase is probably more
noticeable if you skip several years. I have gone every year except
when a hurricane stopped me on Labor Day weekend, ca 1995?



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


"In this house we _obey_ the laws of thermodynamics." --Homer Simpson