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U.S. NEWSTuesday 29 December 2015

American Living:

New England lobstermen still fishing thanks to mild winter

A lobster boat heads out to sea at sunrise, off Kennebunkport, Maine. Some of the state’s lobster- Portland scallop and lob- lobsters. “The weather has
men are staying out on the water later in the year because of the warm winter weather. The result ster fisherman, said he ex- been good. It absolutely
is that lobster is easy to come by at the market. pects scallop fishing in the has affected the industry
southern part of the state by letting people get out
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) to pick up in mid-January. more.”
Supply from scallop-rich The warm winter comes
PATRICK WHITTLE The extra fishing hasn’t made the transition to the Cobscook Bay is helping amid several consecutive
Associated Press done much to change the winter scalloping season feed demand for now, he strong seasons for New
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — price of lobsters, which are because lobster fishing is said. England lobstering. Lobster
Many New England lobster- selling in the range of $8 to still strong. “There’s not very many catches have topped 100
men are still fishing deep $10 per pound in Maine, As a result, Maine scallops being landed right here million pounds per year for
into December this year typical for this time of year, — which usually cost about in Casco Bay,” said Todd, six straight years after never
because of unseasonably when Canada is also haul- $20 per pound — have who is still fishing for lobsters. previously reaching that
warm weather and an ing in large catches. been slightly more expen- Lobster fishing off New Eng- mark, according to federal
abundance of the critters, But some lobstermen in sive, sometimes selling in land peaks in the summer, statistics that go back to
and Maine’s beloved scal- Maine, the biggest lobster- the $25-per-pound range, and the fleet typically re- 1950.
lops are a little harder to producing state, also fish and some retailers are low duces to a few hardy souls David Cousens, president
come by as a result. for scallops and haven’t on supply. Alex Todd, a when the cold months ar- of the Maine Lobstermen’s
rive. But more boats than Association, said the extra
usual are still on the water catch is nice, but this win-
this year because condi- ter’s warm waters are also
tions remain good, fisher- troubling because they
men and dealers said. Tem- mean lobsters are more
peratures were expected susceptible to disease.
to remain above average He said the water temper-
in much of New England on ature in the Gulf of Maine
Monday. is hovering around 47 de-
Rockland, Maine, lobster grees, a few degrees high-
dealer Jamie Steeves said er than typical for this time
there has been no trouble of year.
selling the extra catch, and “It’s not good that the
he suspects some will end ocean’s not cooling down.
up on tables for holiday We need it to cool down,”
celebrations. Cousens said. “If they don’t
“Everyone’s doing well right take their long winter’s nap,
now. There’s a lot of bugs they’re more susceptible to
around,” Steeves said, us- shell disease.” q
ing a colloquial term for

Company to hold meeting on decade-old oil leak in Gulf

MICHAEL KUNZELMAN mation about the leak and evidence that the leak is from the public about the an additional $100,000 to
Associated Press its efforts to end it. worse than the company, leak’s extent and potential fund an environmental re-
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In 2004, waves whipped or government, have pub- impact on the Gulf’s eco- search project.
The company responsible up by Hurricane Ivan trig- licly reported during their system. Taylor Energy recently
for a decade-old oil leak gered an underwater mud- secretive response. Pre- In May, a federal magis- posted an agenda for next
in the Gulf of Mexico will slide that toppled a Taylor sented with AP’s findings, trate rejected the com- month’s daylong meeting
hold a public meeting next Energy-owned platform the Coast Guard provided pany’s bid to preserve the on Louisiana State Universi-
month to disclose details and buried a cluster of its a new leak estimate that confidentiality of numerous ty’s campus. On a website,
of its efforts to stop chronic oil wells under mounds of is about 20 times greater emails and reports about its the company also posted
slicks from forming off Loui- sediment. Oil is still leaking than one touted by the work. But those documents documents summarizing
siana’s coast. at the site more than 11 company in a court filing haven’t been made public the presentations planned
The Jan. 20 forum in Baton years later, with slicks often earlier this year. yet. The September settle- for the forum.
Rouge was a requirement stretching for miles. Environmental groups led ment that resolved the Wa- Taylor Energy President Wil-
of Taylor Energy Co.’s court Federal regulators estimate by the New York-based terkeeper Alliance’s federal liam Pecue, the company’s
settlement in September the leak could last a centu- Waterkeeper Alliance sued lawsuit called for the com- sole remaining full-time
with environmental groups, ry or more if left unchecked. Taylor Energy in 2012, ac- pany to donate $300,000 employee, is scheduled to
which accused the com- An Associated Press inves- cusing the company of to a Louisiana marine re- make most of the presenta-
pany of withholding infor- tigation in April revealed withholding information search consortium and pay tions at the meeting.q