fisheries

Lobsters and other sea creatures in areas selected for offshore wind development are about to hear a whole lot of noisy construction. How might it affect them? At a local dock, Cape Cod scientists are making some very loud banging noises to find out.

Fishermen have 90 days to show they’ve historically used the lease area and a third party administrator — with the help of fishing representatives — will decide how to divide up a $19.1 million pot through the Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program to Massachusetts fishermen.

Something strange seems to be happening with striped bass on Martha’s Vineyard. Scientists and Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal officials think a small population of the fish could be defying their migratory nature. And that, in turn, could be impeding efforts to restore a second fish species: herring.

Recreational-scalloping season is here. But enthusiasm is down among commercial catchers, many of whom are aging out of the industry.

An abundance of cinder worms was behind the unusual fish kill.

The study says offshore wind farms are already affecting the data that's used to shape fishing regulations.

The Massachusetts fishery is in a moment of change. Lobstermen today are facing warming waters that are affecting lobster populations, offshore wind developers encroaching on fishing grounds, and strict fishing regulations imposed to protect critically endangered right whales.

Four Massachusetts lobstermen have filed a class action suit against the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Marine Stewardship Council, groups that urged distributors and grocery stores to avoid purchasing lobster because of the fishery's impact on North Atlantic right whales.

“What we've seen over the last two decades is, simply put, mortality caused by humans is outpacing reproduction in the species,” said Heather Pettis, research scientist at the New England Aquarium.

"Questions have been coming at us about potentially euthanizing Snow Cone. The science of euthanizing a whale at sea is, let's say, in its extreme infancy," Landry said. "But if we find a weather window, we do feel as though there are things that we can do to make her life better."