The lobster industry thrives due to climate change, not for long though

The lobster industry in Maine is valued at $1.4 billion. It employs more than 4,100 people directly and thousands in trade. In a bizarre turnaround of the global warming and climate change crisis, the lobster industry in Maine and the Canadian Maritimes is thriving. 

Climate change is increasing the base temperature of water bodies. It's heating the chilly Atlantic water lobster’s need to thrive, prompting a marine migration to the north. Local lobster fishermen and oyster farmers of the area who have been doing this for quite some time say that 25 years ago, by November they had 2-inch thick layers of ice over the ocean but now they can continue working well into January. They also confirm that they’ve witnessed the water heat up by 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit which is in line with recent studies that suggest that the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the global oceans. Lobster catching is plummeting in Southern New England but skyrocketing up the coast in areas like Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. 

University of Prince Edward Island climate professor Adam Fenech said that currently the arming does seem like a win for the fishing industry but it's not a lasting one. According to him, the temperatures are going to keep rising until industries in aquaculture and shellfish industries like lobsters will eventually disappear from the area. 

Source: CBS News