Only a few days left to catch, sell, and enjoy Connecticut lobster…at least for a while.
A ban on trapping lobster in the Long Island Sound starts this Sunday and continues until November 28.
The DEEP’s Marine Fisheries Division expects the closure will boost stock by reducing the overall catch by 10%.
In just 15 years, according to Marine Fisheries, the Connecticut lobster haul dropped more than 90%, from 3.8 million pounds in 1998 to just 226,000 pounds last year.
“The chances of us having a 6 month closure are better than chances of us going back to be able to fish 12 months a year,” Mike Tyler, a Connecticut lobsterman, said.
DEEP Marine Fisheries said it’s likely that a 3 month ban will happen again next year, as well as in the years to follow.