A lobster problem
I wish I had these hard decisions -- from
United Press International:
Town told washed-up lobsters off-limits
A small Canadian seaside town in New Brunswick has been warned lobsters that wash ashore cannot be eaten because they weren't caught under license.
After an Atlantic storm Saturday, the crustaceans began washing ashore at Petit-Rocher on the northeastern coast and word spread quickly, the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal reported.
However, John St.-Coeur, a spokesman for the federal Fisheries and Oceans ministry issued a statement warning beachcomber they were breaking the law that says lobster can only be taken in traps by licensed fishermen during open season. Anyone else collecting lobsters could be fined $100,000, he said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the shore was mostly clear of lobsters and Mayor Pierre Godin said as many as 1,000 people -- including him -- had enjoyed many lobster meals since the weekend.
He dismissed the federal warning, saying residents had benefited from washed-up seafood for centuries.
"If it's illegal, they are going to have to make a very, very big prison for us all," he told the newspaper.
I love the mayor -- nothing like small-town reality hitting some distant government nanny's opinion of what is best for us...
Posted by DaveH at January 6, 2010 10:54 PM