A Maine fisherman has been accused of possessing illegal lobsters.
Rodney Genthner of Friendship has been charged with possession of V-notch female lobsters, possession of short lobsters, unlawful possession of wolf fish, unlawful dumping of fish and failure to operate a vessel monitoring system, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Officers boarded Genthner’s boat, For The Win, about 4 a.m. on April 23 after a month of surveillance over suspected licensing and equipment violations.
Lobsters are marked with a V-notch to indicate egg-bearing female lobsters, and are protected in order to maintain the fishery.
“Species unlawfully removed from the ecosystem will not have the opportunity to be part of sustainable, healthy, and renewable populations of resources,” NH Fish and Game said.
Genthner was among two lobstermen whose licenses were suspended in 2023 after an investigation found they stole other fishermen’s traps. As a result, his license was suspended, and it wasn’t due to be reinstated until Feb. 8, 2029.
Genther has a history of fishery violations, as he was charged twice in 2022 with possessing notched lobsters.
