This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Sens. Duff & Leone Vote to Protect Lobster Fisheries from Pesticides

Sen. Carlo Leone and I joined our colleagues in the state Senate to unanimously approve new legislation, that I co-sponsored, adopting precautionary measures to reduce the exposure of lobsters in Long Island Sound to potentially harmful pesticides. The lobster population in the Sound is currently at an all-time low.

The lobster fisheries of Long Island Sound have been absolutely decimated over the course of the last decade. No doubt rising water temperatures bear part of the blame, but new evidence suggests certain pesticides used in mosquito control may also be involved. This bill takes steps to reduce the use of those pesticides as a precaution, provided there is no negative impact on public health. 

Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Fishing and shellfish have historically made up a significant component of our economy in Connecticut, and that remains true to this day. The lobster population in Long Island Sound has fallen dramatically in recent years, which is at terrible sign both ecologically and economically. We must do what we can to restore a natural balance in the sound, and help our fishermen to thrive again,” said Senator Leone.

Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), lobster landings (i.e. lobsters caught by fishermen) in Long Island Sound have declined from 3.7 million pounds in 1998 to just 142,000 pounds in 2011. The central and western Sound, where landings have fallen by 99% since 1998, has seen the greatest decline in lobster abundance.

In 2011 the DEEP discovered small amounts of the pesticides methoprene and resmethrin in the tissue of lobsters taken from the catch of a lobsterman in the middle of the Sound, south of Norwalk. 

Methoprene is a larvicide introduced into still water to combat mosquito larvae. Resmethrin is a broad-spectrum insecticide with many uses, including controlling adult mosquitoes.

Given the small sample size, it is not yet clear what the presence of the pesticides in the lobster tissue means to the overall health of the lobster population. However, a larger study by the DEEP is currently underway, and expected to be complete by late July.

As a precautionary measure, House Bill 6441 would require the DEEP to establish a plan by September of this year to restrict the use or application of methoprene or resmethrin in the state's coastal boundary. The plan would still allow use of methoprene or resmethrin if the DEEP commissioner recommends it to prevent a threat of mosquito-borne illness.

The legislation, House Bill 6441, was previously passed by the House of Representatives on May 30th. It now proceeds to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

State Senator Bob Duff represents the 25th Senatorial District, which includes Norwalk and Darien. To follow Senator Duff's Patch blog click here and then click "Get email updates."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?