With effort reduction still a hot topic, lobstermen continue to question how potential trap limits could impact their livelihoods. Some of those who once fished traps in excess of 1,500 (WWF March 05) contend they are struggling to make a living with 600-800 traps. Aside from the effect on their bottom line, these fishermen have also experienced elemental changes in how they operate their businesses.
Yet there is a large segment of the lobstering population that has been fishing at – or below – current limits. And for some of the younger, full-time lobstermen, trap limits are all they have known. Can these fishermen make ends meet with the number of traps they are presently fishing? And if so, could they continue to make a living were further effort reduction to take place?
Eben Wilson is a Zone E lobsterman who fishes from the east side of the Damariscotta River out to Squirrel Island. His boat, WORKING GIRL, is a 35-footer built by Young Brothers. Wilson fishes the Zone E maximum of 600 traps, and has been involved in lobstering in one form or another for the past 16 years. He will readily admit that he has a nice boat and a nice vehicle, and he just bought a piece of land where he hopes to build a house someday. Wilson is 25 years old.
Wilson clearly works hard, and has been successful at his profession. When pressed, though, he thoughtfully hesitates before he answers. “I’m making a sustainable living,” he says, with an emphasis placed on sustainable. “For somebody my age I’m doing right in the middle.”
Wilson recognizes that there are ebbs and flows within any fishery, and he conducts his business with that in mind. From year to year he forces himself to ask the questions, “what does the boat need, what do I need?”
For now, Wilson has chosen to go without health insurance. This would seem to be a risky proposition for someone working in a field that requires so much physical labor, but Wilson can’t quite swing the hundreds of dollars a month it would take for a policy. Instead, he is careful when he lobsters, and for now feels that he has youth on his side. “But you can only be so cautious,” Wilson says.
Were the Zone E limit to drop below 600, Wilson would surely have to look for another source of income. As it is, during the height of the season he’s finished working everyday by noon, and most weeks he is able to work through his gear in four days, giving him three days off. He continues to tend 200-250 traps during the winter months, but even that isn’t enough. “I work a second job at the sail loft, which helps. This is a choice, but I need the income. It’s never been my philosophy to stop working.”
Jason Day had his first lobster boat at age 11. It was a 16-foot wooden skiff that he used to fish the inshore waters of Vinalhaven. At 14 he had moved up to a 22-foot wooden Novi boat, which he used right up until the time that he began fishing full-time, which was in 1999.
Now he fishes the full complement of 800 traps out of a 36-foot Calvin Beal. During the summer months he is hauling six days a week, 330 to 340 traps per day on short sets.
At those levels does he feel that he is able to make a good living?
“Yes, definitely. (The lobster fishery) could drop 50 percent and I still think I could make more than I would be able to on the mainland.”
Day also recognizes that over the past six years or so, the fishing around Vinalhaven has been very good. Compared to other parts of the state, some would say the catches have been spectacular. In fact, there are periods during the summer when Day is utilizing two sternmen, one full-time and one part-time.
That said, though, when the topic of effort reduction comes up, he has some strong sentiments. “As far as I know, nobody on Vinalhaven wants to see effort reduction.”
Day admits that at times his area is congested with traps and lobstermen are either competing for the same bottom or fishing on top of each other. Still, Day also firmly believes that the regulation of traps in the water should be left to the lobstermen.
Seth Dube, a sixth-generation fisherman, left the industry right at the time all the new regulations were going into effect. Having fished all his life, he was interested in trying something new. After a couple of years he realized it was time to return to lobstering. But now he had to start over. Because his license had been idle, Dube was obligated to go through the apprentice program – a two-year process. Then he had to wait another year because of the 2:1 exit/entry ratio. Finally, in 2003, with 300 traps – the maximum allowed for new entrants – he was able to return to the fishery full-time.
Increasing at the allotted amount of 100 traps per year, he is now fishing a total of 500 traps. “I’m at the point where I make some money,” he said. “I don’t have the ability to move my gear around the way I would like, but I think I can make a halfway decent living now.”
Despite all that was involved in re-entering to the fishery, Dube was willing to start from the ground level and commit do what was necessary to regain full-time status. That said, how does the prospect of further effort reduction sit with him?
“I made all my economic decisions based upon what I was told,” said Dube. “It’s not OK to change the rules in the middle of the game.”
Despite their relative success now, many of these young lobstermen question where the opportunity for growth will be in the future. By fishing the maximum number traps allowed, they limit themselves on their ability to grow in that respect. Without a significant increase in lobster prices, they are apt to see their incomes level off or even decrease with a drop in landings or an increase in operating costs.
If effort reductions do materialize, someone will have to pay the price. Most lobstermen agree there is an ever-increasing amount of gear in the water, but few can agree on how to resolve that situation.
Wilson recognizes the difficulty in solving this issue. “Where I fish, there are so many guys on top of each other – territory is tough,” says Wilson. “Yet another trap limit isn’t the answer. All you’ll do is penalize the bigger guys – and these guys aren’t the ones that are the problem. But how to do it is a problem.”
Dube views it differently. “The bigger guys cry they can’t make a living below 800 traps – well, if you can’t do it, how do you expect me to? What’s good for him is good for me.”
When the three lobstermen interviewed were asked, “given the option, do you wish you could fish more traps?” the answer was unequivocally “yes.” Dube is working his way up to the 800-trap limit in Zone G, while Wilson, locked in at the Zone E limit of 600 traps would “easily fish 800.” Day said he’d fish another 100 to 200 more.
These are all young men, in the early stages of building families. Despite different circumstances in different zones, they are all able to make a decent living at the levels at which they fish.
But as these young men begin to grow their businesses and their families, will there be enough of an opportunity for them to increase their incomes? The fishery seems to be witnessing an influx of new entrants that are accelerating the ascent to the limits in a short period of time, leaving them little room for growth over the long haul.
With banks eager to lend to a burgeoning industry, it is less common today to see young men entering the fishery with wooden skiffs and outboards. Instead, they are now financing 30-foot-plus fiberglass boats with powerful diesel engines. The days of building traps themselves has been replaced by the purchase of a full complement of traps – ready made and ready to fish.
And in a highly competitive field, lobstermen are turning to technology for an edge. “For a $2,000 plotter you’ve got 20 years’ worth of knowledge,” said Wilson.
Dube talked about his grandfather, and described the lobstermen of that generation. “They didn’t have anywhere near [the number of] traps that they have now. [At that time] a big gang of traps was 500.” Still, his grandfather made a good living: in addition to his home, he owned a lobster pound as well. If he couldn’t pay cash for something, he didn’t buy it.
Upon reflection, Dube commented that “half the problem is that this industry has too much debt.” And as fishermen increase their debt, they must also find a way to increase their ability to service that debt – something they mus accomplish with fewer traps.