In Reply to: What would you like to see changed as with the Lobster Fishery? posted by Chris on July 28, 2012 at 08:34:50:

What a great idea, figuring out ways to enhance a fishery, lets stop the blanket closures. Divers know that if the commercial take of any species were to stop, the stocks would rebound nicely. I do not like to trash the people that make their living from the sea, but I now believe that anytime the season count of the target species is in hundreds of thousands of pounds, or for that matter, metric tons, that species is going to be in trouble. I would be ok with a daily bag limit reduction to 4-5 per day. Leave the current minimum size, and require all bugs over lets say 7lbs, be released. That is the only area I think the bug population is in trouble, the very large males 10lbs and larger. I think the current season length and months are the reason the bug population is maintaining, just go for a summer dive to a well known Lobster spot and check out the bug activity, there will be females out carrying eggs, and just a general increase in numbers, then come fall, the same spot will hold half the bugs.