Catch As Catch Can: The Plight Of The Long Island Long Island Sound

Most people enjoy a good lobster dinner, and for most there’s nothing like a well-made surf and turf. In fact, Long Island is known for its sensational and abundant seafood. But, it now seems like our famous crustaceans may no longer be our crowning glory.

According to local “fishermen”, those who use to pull lobster traps for a living, they are now reeling in fluke, bluefish, and blackfish instead.

And, according to experts, the shift in what pros are fishing for can be “blamed” on a climate change. In fact, scientists suggest that the decline (of lobsters in local waters) is a trend they expect to continue.

But, the news comes as “no surprise” to area anglers who say they’ve noticed a drop since 1999 and they say that while typically they would see most of their income in July and August, the “fish” and the funds are no longer there. And, scientists add that the lack of lobsters has to do with the warming water in the Sound. They suggest that due to lobsters already “residing” in the southernmost part of their range, the waters are becoming increasingly too warm for their existence, and so the range is shifting north. And, that’s decreasing the lobster population in the Long Island Sound, and making it harder for local fisherman to continue to make catch a lobster or a break.