Lobsterman in Waters Near Darien Says Pesticide Reduction Helped Lobsters in LI Sound

Editor’s note: This announcement was sent from state Sen. Bob Duff’s legislative office five days before the Nov. 4 election. Duff (who represents Norwalk and part of Darien) and the other legislators mentioned in it are all Democrats running for re-election.

This is the last article Darien Patch plans to run from any lawmaker before the election other than information about voting or certain news releases from campaign organizations. We’ll likely run any campaign news releases we receive from incumbents or their opponents if those are received by 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31.

We may publish articles based on other legislative news releases after the election. Incumbents have many advantages over challengers in elections. Darien Patch will reduce this advantage a bit.

Here’s Duff’s news release:

Mike Kalaman has been fishing for lobsters in Long Island Sound for 38 years, and after several years of record bad harvests, he says this year is looking better – thanks in part to a new state law passed last year and co-sponsored by state Sen. Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) which restricts the application of two mosquito pesticides.

Those pesticides, Kalaman and other lobstermen believe, are harmful to lobsters, and reducing their use – along with some other, favorable environmental conditions – have helped Long Island Sound lobsters.

“The passing of that bill was absolutely instrumental in giving lobsters a fighting chance. It’s been a phenomenal year for lobsters, and there are a lot of reasons for that – but the passing of that bill was instrumental,” says Kalaman, a Norwalk native who captains The Dark Horse out of Norwalk for Norm Bloom & Sons Copps Island Oysters.

Kalaman also attributes his improved lobster catches to a cold winter and to storm ‘Sandy,’ noting there were three 10-foot tidal surges that helped ‘flush’ a lot of new seawater into Long Island Sound. “That storm helped the Sound restore itself. I know it was catastrophic to homeowners, but it was beneficial to the Sound,” he said.

“There are a lot of reasons for the lobster die-off in Long Island Sound. Some are beyond our control and some are under our control, and instituting the smarter use of certain pesticides certainly falls within actions that are under our control in the state legislature and which can help state lobstermen – small businessmen, really – survive a very tough environment,” said Sen. Duff, who rose to speak in support of the bill on the Senate floor when it was passed June 4, 2013. “It’s part of the equation, and I have to believe that every little bit helps.”

The 2013 law prohibits the use or application of the pesticides methoprene or resmethrin in any storm drain or water conveyance in the state’s coastal boundary, except in a city with at least 100,000 people and a documented death from West Nile virus.

The law also established recommendations for a pilot program to evaluate the retail sale and use of methoprene and resmethrin in the coastal area to control mosquitoes in streams, storm drains, storm gutters, and bird baths to ensure their use is consistent with labeling requirements.

Our main goal is to increase the local lobster population. We feel that this is a great start towards reaching that goal,” said state Rep. Chris Perone (D-Norwalk)

“Prohibiting toxic chemicals into Long Island Sound and seeing a rebound means that our legislation has had a positive impact. My hope is that other states follow our lead for the betterment of the environment and our local fisherman,” said state Sen. Carlo Leone (D-Stamford).

“The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection worked closely with Senator Duff and others in the General Assembly on the legislation concerning use of certain pesticides in areas along Long Island Sound in order to help strike a prudent balance between efforts to protect natural resources and aquatic species and to safeguard the public from mosquito-borne illness,” said DEEP Spokesman Dennis Schain.

“DEEP is also continuing its work to better understand factors that could be impacting lobsters in Long Island Sound to best determine what strategies might help to protect that species.”

Picture of a lobster from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (via Wikimedia Commons)