Lobstering in Long Island Sound

Lobster fishermen in New York and Connecticut are gearing up for another government-mandated closure in Long Island Sound.

The Sound will be closed to lobstering for seven weeks starting next week. 

Officials say the closure will give the chance for the lobster population to rebuild. 

Lobster fishermen say they should be part of that process.

"We just wish they would take it a little more seriously. Closing it down is not the answer," said Mike Kalaman, a commercial lobster fisherman in Connecticut, "We are trying to grow a crop.  If you were trying to grow a garden, you can't start it and walk away. Just doesn't make sense."

Lobster population in the Long Island Sound has seen a major decline since the late 1990s, when the waters produced nearly 4 million pounds of lobster.

In 2014, that number dropped to 120,000 pounds.

Environmentalists say climate change is the culprit, citing in a federal report that lobsters are moving further up north to cooler waters.

Not everyone agrees. Kalaman believes the lobster population is rebounding in Long Island Sound. 

He told Chasing News his catch has doubled since last summer and his prices are at a high of $6 a pound.