TABLE 8 
Number of Spiny Lobster Fishermen 
Year On Vessels On Boats and Shore Total 
Regular Regular Casual eas 
1964 109 381 118 608 
1965 106 469 50 625 
1966 PAS 5s 36 801 
1967 299 621 234 947 
1968 690 288 23 de OOw 
1969 509 347 29 885 
1970 598 441 20 O59 
1971 746 358 45 1,149 
1972 902 379 41 yoee 
1973 Ib db sis) 411 30 Ali sy a/c! 
Recreational fishing 
Recreational fishermen account for a large percentage of 
the lobster licenses but a relatively small amount of the 
annual catch. Licensing practices vary among the States. 
In Massachusetts, for example, recreational lobster fisher- 
men generally have had about three-quarters of the licenses 
but have caught less than 10 percent of the reported landings. 
The State of Maine, in contrast, issues only commercial lob- 
ster licenses; however, with a commercial license fee of $25, 
a State official believes that some of the catch is probably 
recreational in nature. 
There are no statistics available to show the extent 
of the recreational harvest of spiny lobsters; however, spiny 
lobsters are caught by recreational skindivers. 
Management control 
U.S. control of the American lobster resource was assured 
on January 2, 1974, when the American lobster was declared a 
continental shelf fishery resource. This action prohibited 
a direct. lobster fishery Off U.S. coasts by foretgn £tsher— 
men and required all incidental lobster catches by them to 
be returned to the ocean. Beyond this action, there are 
no Federal regulations controlling the lobster fishery. 
170 
