Wahle quoted in Working Waterfront, BDN article on lobster fishery
University of Maine marine scientist Rick Wahle was quoted by the Working Waterfront and Bangor Daily News in articles on the current state of Maine’s lobster fishery. The industry thrived in 2015, setting a record for statewide landings value of nearly half a billion dollars and remaining historically high in catch volume, the BDN reported. However, the uncertain future of the state’s fishery was a major topic of discussion during the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, the article states. At the forum, Wahle said some lobster population surveys in the Gulf of Maine have shown that fewer lobsters are reaching the “settlement” stage, which is when young lobsters grow big enough to sink to the ocean bottom instead of floating around in the water column. He said the expansion of younger lobsters into deeper, warmer water might offset the decreases scientists have been seeing in their traditional settlement survey areas, but scientists still think lobster landings in Maine will decrease overall, according to the BDN.