The North Atlantic white whale is on track for possible extinction within the next twenty years following a significant rise in deaths and a downtrend in new births year after year. Environmental advocates and scientists have dedicated countless hours of research to find a viable solution to this growing crisis. It seems that Maine’s lobster industry gets the brunt of the blame even though there is contrary evidence suggesting a different culprit.

Villianised for its role in the endangerment of this whale species, the lobster industry in Maine’s Gulf is in jeopardy following accusations that not enough is being done to protect the giant creatures under the federal Endangered Species Act. Lobster fishermen along the coast of Maine have stepped up over the years, adapting to new and tightening regulations that required them to adopt costly new equipment at their own expense. 

Some scientists made proposals for the use of weaker ropes or radio signals to locate traps without any consideration of the viability of the ideas. Heavy tides along the coastline make these alternative measures an impossible feat for the exhausted lobstermen trying to keep up with the balance between supporting their economy and protecting the whales.

Even with all of the new measures and adjustments that they put in place, a federal judge ruled to revoke the certificate of sustainability that had been previously issued for lobster fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council stating that the National Marine Fisheries had understated the threat of whale entanglement within the lobster fishing gear. In the midst of catching crustaceans, the lobstermen off the coast of Maine can’t seem to catch a break.

Environmental activists and lawmakers seem to have their targets in sight regarding saving the whales, but statistics paint a different picture. Studies show that, while the region does contribute to some whale deaths, many of them aren’t even recorded in the Gulf of Maine. Most of them come from the waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. Evidence suggests that whale deaths could result from many factors, not just the entanglements associated with lobster fishing in the area. Why, then, is an industry that supports thousands of families along the coast of Maine in jeopardy? 

No one argues that promising, proactive approaches to helping protect the whales are necessary for preventing extinction, but at what expense? Further regulation of Maine’s lobster industry, with no solid proof or evidence that it’s even the most significant contributor to the crisis, would mean lost jobs and a potential problem for the lobsterman and the families they support.

Authorities need to make precise assessments to develop the most suitable and sustainable regulations for fishermen. Unless accurate studies can be conducted to support the theory that lobster fishing is a direct contributor to whale endangerment, the lobster industry, and Maine’s local economy must be given priority. Human livelihoods are dependent on it.