Not for jobs, although this site is now getting traffic, so leave a comment if you are looking for a job on a lobster boat or are looking for a helper, one never knows and I do know that there are a few people that are now finding the site.

I do recommend Craigs List as I have seen a few sternman jobs there. My hope is that because the number of visitors to this site is increasing, that lobstermen, or just anyone will comment or post enough so that it becomes something of a source of information for Maine lobstermen.

The real reason I and the other members of this site are looking for lobstermen is to discuss what is happening to our jobs.

I think the idea is that the internet is a good place to let other lobstermen know how you feel about what is happening. It isn’t to form any sort of rebellious organization, it is just to discuss what is happening and how we feel about what is going on.

An example of this might be that I personally don’t worry that much about herring as I don’t use it, but I am concerned because a reduction in any type of bait presently being used will cause increased prices of the other baits used.

Boycotting in the food industry is racketeering which is illegal. So far lobstermen aren’t forced to haul their traps.

Last year someone tried to get a bill through that would eliminate sales of lobsters other than to dealers. My thought was that a license was to catch, but it also was that lobstermen were always supposed to sell to dealers, not individuals. It might not have been a law but I do know that the private sales are what are keeping many lobstermen afloat.

The dealers need lobsters for the processors and this is what controls the price.

With times getting tougher for everyone and the government getting more and more greedy, lobstermen regardless of how independent they feel, really should start trying to work together to see if anything can or should be done about all the regulations and controls on the industry.

I don’t keep names of people that sign up for any purpose other than this program that the site runs on requires it if they are to post or comment. I had to require signing up to comment because I got so many porn, drug sales, and all sorts of other undesirable links and comments.

I screen it regularly and I have a helper to work with the posting. I would like more people to post.

It is time for lobstermen to make some sort of attempt to work together on some of the issues. As far as the negatives on the water at times, we still need to work together.

I would like to hear from other lobstermen just to see how they feel.

I believe it would be a good thing to post questions from others that join the site or comment and develop polls, just to get a feel for what we really think about the industry and our jobs.