Cyborg Lobsters Foil Poachers

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by Rob Walker | August 18, 2008 at 11:07 am
2214 views | 7 Recommendations | 64 comments

Photos

Lobster traps

Lobster traps

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uploaded by dsweetie24

Lobsters outfitted with special microchips easily allowed Canadian fisheries officers to catch some poachers in the act.

The chips are emitters that are implanted in each lobster, who then wander into unmarked and illegal traps. The officers wait nearby, pick up the signal and swoop in on the fishermen, who are sitting with the lobsters.

In May, Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers from the nearby Port aux Basques detachment found six unmarked lobster traps close to the small community of Burnt Islands.

The officers placed live lobsters implanted with microchips in each of the traps, the federal department said Friday.

During a stakeout of the area, officers saw three men hauling two of the untagged traps from the water and approached the men. Officers searched their boat and found all six microchip lobsters.

Source: cbc.ca

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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (64)

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djv69sd
djv69sd

at 19:31 on August 18th, 2008

Westport, WA AUG 2008

djv69sd has contributed a photo to this story.

0
titusbyronicus
titusbyronicus

at 22:49 on August 18th, 2008

Taken in Portland, ME, July 2008.

titusbyronicus has contributed a photo to this story.

0
The Nature of Things
The Nature of Things

at 23:57 on August 18th, 2008

Photo taken on the beach at Main-a-Dieu, along the east coast of Cape Breton...

The Nature of Things has contributed a photo to this story.

Uwe Paschen
Uwe Paschen
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 00:47 on August 19th, 2008

Rob Walker, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Smart, I like it! Just do not want to eat the implant though!

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captjoe06
captjoe06

at 01:59 on August 19th, 2008

Sounds like an interesting idea but I don't understand why they don't just bust them for having traps without the proper tags in them.  Around here if you don't have the tags they confiscate the gear, problem solved.


Anyway if you would like to view my pictures of double clawed lobsters, half blue lobsters, triple and quadruple clawed crabs you can view them here-

Freaks of The Lobster and Crab World

Here is a slide show of lobster claw regeneration

My blog from the docks of Gloucester can be found here-

www.goodmorninggloucester.org



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Iranon
Iranon

at 03:15 on August 19th, 2008

Iranon has contributed a photo to this story.

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learningful_rcb
learningful_rcb

at 03:40 on August 19th, 2008

The 3 photos in this collection are from very different locations in the east coast lobster fishery (Lunenberg NS, Trout Creek NL, and North Rustico PEI). I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to explore and experience the people and places in this part of Canada, and an industry that is in the midst of significant change.

learningful_rcb has contributed a photo to this story.

0
luvmycrows
luvmycrows

at 03:46 on August 19th, 2008

Blue heron standing atop lobster traps being seasoned just before the Magdalen Islands, QC annual harvest.

luvmycrows has contributed a photo to this story.

0
AndWat
AndWat

at 03:58 on August 19th, 2008

I think that these lobster traps are legit. Taken on Cape Ann, MA.

AndWat has contributed a photo to this story.

0
wblack76
wblack76

at 04:16 on August 19th, 2008

The old-fashioned way: artfully posed lobster traps in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, August 3, 2008. Most wooden traps are now for show or for sale to tourists.

wblack76 has contributed a photo to this story.

1
bontie-lou
bontie-lou

at 04:30 on August 19th, 2008

Taken on Swans Island, Maine
August 2008

bontie-lou has contributed a photo to this story.

0
MelissaMLou
MelissaMLou

at 04:37 on August 19th, 2008

West Point Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada

MelissaMLou has contributed a photo to this story.

0
franzjosefhidin
franzjosefhidin

at 04:46 on August 19th, 2008

Photo of lobster traps in Barrington, Nova Scotia by Ben Watkins

franzjosefhidin has contributed a photo to this story.

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hollis_ellison
hollis_ellison

at 05:13 on August 19th, 2008

I shoot this image in Rockport Massachusetts. I was there with my family on a trip to Portland Maine. We had stopped in Rockport to enjoy a lobster lunch and i happened to walk around and found these stacks of lobster traps.I had no idea about the poaching but i am pleased to hear that someone is trying to put a stop to it .

hollis_ellison has contributed a photo to this story.

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Brodzy
Brodzy

at 05:16 on August 19th, 2008

This could be a good idea. It makes you wonder though how far they will take it. Do you think that this idea should also be used with endangered animals such as polar bears? Or would this be taking it to far??

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am.warner26
am.warner26

at 05:20 on August 19th, 2008

This photo was taken September 2007 on Beals Island in Maine.

am.warner26 has contributed a photo to this story.

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caleb
caleb

at 05:28 on August 19th, 2008

Love the title! Unfortunately poaching will always be around when you have a high commodity item like lobster. Poachers think in the current moment and not in the future. Laws like this are set up like this to protect species of animals. I'm sure that if it was a free for all we would have eaten up the majority of the lobster population by now.

*Picture by caleb (inside lobster trap) was taken on Stuartown Wharf, Deer Island, NB.

caleb has contributed a photo to this story.

0
they call me mama
they call me mama

at 05:37 on August 19th, 2008


they call me mama has contributed a photo to this story.

0
MattBrownesq
MattBrownesq

at 05:39 on August 19th, 2008

This image was taken on a lobster safari off the western coast of Sweden. I had to pull this Mrs Lobster up from the deep with my bare hands!
Lobster catching is tightly controlled and we were shown how the lobsters are measured and how they are sustained for a continual harvest.

MattBrownesq has contributed a photo to this story.

0
ArtGrrl Productions
ArtGrrl Productions

at 05:46 on August 19th, 2008

Photo taken on the docks in Provincetown, Mass. in August 2007.

Interesting article!

ArtGrrl Productions has contributed a photo to this story.

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esetnik
esetnik

at 05:51 on August 19th, 2008

Taken in Bar Harbor, ME.

The idea of using technology to protect lobsters from illegitimate poaching seems to be a nearly flawless solution as long as it does not interfere with the lobster's ability to lead a normal life.

esetnik has contributed a photo to this story.

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Flowermama368
Flowermama368

at 06:00 on August 19th, 2008

I agree with Brodzy that this is an interesting idea and what about other endangered animals? But I would add that we need to have stricter penalties and enforce those penalties to deter the initial act.

Flowermama368 has contributed a photo to this story.

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BoldSearcher
BoldSearcher

at 06:24 on August 19th, 2008

On the coast of Nova Scotia, lobster pots were stacked,  ready for the next season.

BoldSearcher has contributed a photo to this story.

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Jason Lightbox
Jason Lightbox

at 06:32 on August 19th, 2008

This photo was taken on a foggy day in a Louisbourg, Cape Breton Nova Scotia.

Jason Lightbox has contributed a photo to this story.

0
vphiii
vphiii

at 06:38 on August 19th, 2008

Lobster traps from my 2005 trip to Maine, outside Booth Bay. I found the stacks of lobster traps fascinating this was my attempt to make art from a lobster trap...

vphiii has contributed a photo to this story.

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Thomas W.P. Slatin Photography
Thomas W.P. Slatin Photography

at 06:47 on August 19th, 2008

Thanks for using my photos of lobster traps!

Thomas :)

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Cavalier92
Cavalier92

at 06:51 on August 19th, 2008

My shot was taken in Cape Porpoise, ME on July 2007.  Thanks for using it!

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Deno Langis
Deno Langis

at 06:54 on August 19th, 2008

This photo was taken at Cape Porpoise, Maine at a legitimate lobstering facility.  It is a very quaint, but productive operation.  Love it!   Thanks for posting my photo!

 

 

0
jhaskellus
jhaskellus

at 06:55 on August 19th, 2008

Two adults and one child on a small lobster boat checking traps in the early morning off Gurnet Point.

jhaskellus has contributed a photo to this story.

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ppeggy
ppeggy

at 07:15 on August 19th, 2008

Could this be called 'entrapment'?  Ha. Ha.

This story was created over 3 months ago, the comment thread is now closed.

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