Lobstermen made their plight known and elected officials have begun to respond to their need. On Dec. 6 more than 20 lobstermen who set their traps in the waters of Long Island Sound went to Glen Cove City Hall for a strategy planning session with Mayor Thomas Suozzi. The lobstermen, from Glen Cove, Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Bayville, Oyster Bay, Locust Valley, East Norwich and Northport, are trying to cope with an unprecedented and serious threat to their livelihood.

The die-off of lobsters in Long Island Sound, which may be caused by a parasite, has seriously threatened the lobstermen's source of income, their boats, traps, their homes and their families' lifestyle. These are a hardworking, proud group of men. While they may be competitive with each other regarding places to set traps and total pounds brought in, not one lobsterman wants to see a comrade destroyed financially. Many of them have not been able to work for up to three months and, without income, their mortgages are on the line.

Several lobstermen said they have gotten jobs in construction, driving trucks and digging clams just to make ends meet.

The purpose of the meeting was for everyone to brainstorm, to learn what each lobsterman is going through and how the mayor, by virtue of his position, could become their advocate with government. Also attending the meeting was Chris Smith, the director of the marine program for Cornell Cooperative Extension out in Southold and Tom McKay from the Town of Huntington.

Mayor Suozzi said the meeting happened at the request of Jackie Lizza, whose husband, Peter, is a lobsterman. He said many people don't realize the reverberation this crisis has on the larger economy. The die-off has caused lobstermen to sell everything they have, seek other employment and to leave the North Shore. Lobster trap manufacturers are reporting an 80 percent drop in their business from Long Island and Connecticut clients.

The mayor said government does get involved in other areas of agriculture because the involvement generates income and that's good for society; independent business people do come up with good ideas for the economy and the politics involved in dealing with organized agricultural entrepreneurs. He didn't see why government was not responding to the concerns of the lobstermen.

"It's been said, 'Don't mourn, organize. I offer to help you gather information to see how deep the problem is and how it affects you and your families. I will listen to ideas and help you form a plan to approach government regarding low interest loans, lobster re-seeding programs, and to study the option of retrofitting your boats for other fishing enterprises if it's economically viable" said Mayor Suozzi. He added that he would approach elected officials at every level of government to try and help the lobstermen.

The lobstermen expressed their frustration with government's lack of response to their SOS. One lobsterman said the way things are going, everyone will be out of business in less than four years because what's left alive in the Sound is very small. "What's taking FEMA so long to declare this situation a disaster area so we can get economic assistance? This is just like farmers losing their crops because of floods or drought," said one lobsterman. Mr. Smith said the US Dept. of Agriculture could kick in with disaster relief and co-guaranty low interest loans. He said the US Dept. of Commerce has "Severe Economic Dislocation" funds that could be used for the lobstermen and if they would consider getting into some other form of business endeavor, the Small Business Administration has low interest loans to offer.

The discussion on fishing for other food fish included the reality of not being able to do so if one doesn't have the proper permits and that in no way would anyone want to fish in someone else's "territory." One lobsterman noted there is a moratorium on receiving a new license on every fish except shellfish. However, an interesting idea for a new business was offered by one of the lobstermen regarding the cleansing or depuration of clams, an enterprise that could be located in Glen Cove.

The business would have to be economically viable for Long Island Sound considering that a plant in New Jersey, under federal guidelines, processes 240 bushels of clams per day.

Before the meeting ended, the mayor offered a possible temporary solution to the financial strain of the lobstermen paying rent to store their boats and traps during the winter months. Some men had considered taking a gamble and leaving their traps in the Sound because the rent payments, ($10,000-$12,000), were formidable without steady income. The mayor will look into places around Glen Cove, maybe even the city's impound yard, for the lobstermen to store their traps and boats this winter.

Suffolk County Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, late last week said he too is looking for space for storage of the lobstermen's gear.

Glen Cove Deputy Mayor Anzelmo Graziosi will be coordinating this effort with the lobstermen in figuring out how much land is needed for each lobsterman. Another meeting was scheduled for Dec. 17 while the Town of Huntington will hold just such a meeting on Dec. 9 that will include the participation of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

On Tuesday night, Dec. 8, another meeting was held, this time in the Huntington Town Hall. Over 250 people attended, including the lobstermen, press and politicians, said Joel Anastasia, director of the Huntington Department of Marine Services.

"It was the largest gathering of lobstermen ever put together, outside of a conference," he said. Lobstermen from as far west as New York City, Little Neck Bay, around City Island to as east as Orient Point, attended.

"A lobster retail buyer said, in response to the suggestion that a survey be conducted to see how far reaching the die-out was said, 'I buy from all over Long Island and Connecticut and nobody has any lobsters,'" related Mr. Anastasia.

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, the host of the event. He said, "We were there to discuss financial assistance and the causes of the die-out. Attending were people from the DEC, Cornell Cooperative Extension and NYS Economic Development Council as well as our Marine Division - all there to answer questions."

Mr. Cuthbertson said the most important thing he and Mr. Suozzi accomplished was: "We have put the issue on the Governor's radar screen. Senator Chuck Schumer's assistant was there. We almost immediately got a request for disaster relief out to the federal government from both Mr. Schumer and Governor George Pataki."

He said, "Mayor Suozzi beat us to the punch, but we followed up. Ours was already in the works. We sent a representative to his meeting and he sent one to ours. Between the two, we brought about a really good result."

Mr. Cuthbertson said Huntington will host another forum, that one will be on applying for financial assistance.

DEC Marine Expert Gordon Colvin said, "Researchers at the University of Connecticut have identified a parasitic protozoan, that they believe is responsible because it is believed to be the cause of die-offs of blue crabs further south. They need to test that in the lab. We hope to have that in a week or two.

"That's the only thing we have found so far," he said.

Warmer waters might be playing a role in it, he said. "When we get confirmation, that is one of the things we will pursue. For the most part blue crabs are found in southern waters, New York is the farthest north they are found."

Pollution problems may be related to the die-out, he said, but it is still under investigation as is environmental stress. They sampled the lobsters to see if the problem was an environmental toxin, but that hasn't been found to be so.

Gordon Colvin said nobody's been able to come up with an approach to grow lobsters. "They are cannibalistic, so they have to be separated from each other, which raises the overhead expense, quite a bit," he said. People do raise lobsters, but when it comes to making money, no one's been successful as yet. There is a facility in Montauk that cultures blue lobsters, as well as Maine, Massachusetts and Canada. "Still the problem is making it profitable."

In Oyster Bay, Rob Crafa, environmental analyst for Friends of the Bay said, "FOB is concerned about the lobster die off because of the commercial importance of lobstering to the economy of Long Island and Oyster Bay. We are looking forward to cooperating with the assisting state agencies to help them find the cause of the die-offs."

This year was a great year for fish in Long Island Sound, but it hasn't been good for lobsters. Lobsterman Al Samek, a past president of the Baymen's Association explained what has been happening in the world of lobstering. He said this is the third year, of the lobster die-out. It is a process, he said.

"At first people thought only the lobsters in the waters around New York City were being affected, and were not too concerned, but now, because it's affecting Huntington, it is a local concern.

"Last year, the die-out was pretty effective in Oyster Bay Harbor. Production was cut two thirds in 1998. This year you made a living for a couple of months during the summer and it died out after that," said Mr. Samek.

He gave as an example a lobsterman who set out 400 traps and got 15 lobsters. There was an economic toll in even going out on the harbor. "A trap costs money to drop over the side, roughly speaking, 2 lbs. a trap, that is 800 lbs. of bait at 20 cents comes to $160; add to that a deck hand for $100; fuel at $50 and the return for the 15 lobsters might have brought in $18.

"He lost money that day. That's the story - so nobody is going out - not at those numbers - you're better off not doing anything rather than loosing money."

Adding to the problem is that there were no "short" lobsters - the ones that will grow when they shed their shells next summer and become legal lobsters. A legal lobster is about a pound, the too-small ones weigh about 1/2 pound, he said.

What do you do when your supply is down? "You are forced to do something else. Most of the guys are resourceful - you have to do something else or retire," he said.

Another part of the job is to have a place to leave your traps, he said. That can cost between $10,000 to $12,000 for year-round rental for space. "Flower's, that's where I'm leaving my traps," he said.

Still there is a decision to make: "If you don't see a future you say - why pay the rent? Get rid of the traps and if it gets good again, buy them again.

"The lobstermen are sort of whistling in the dark - trying to figure if you can make a dollar lobstering," said Mr. Samek.

Farming has a reasonable chance of getting a good harvest next year, he said, but with the lobster, as long as the parasite is there, they will die.

"But there must be some that are resistant to it. They will eventually breed and repopulate - but it's a long way off," he said.

The oysters were recently hit with a virus, he said. "The virus wipes out the oysters. There are ones that survive, but it takes two years to grow for harvest. We all got hit about two years ago when 90 percent of the oysters died - but some survived.

"At Flower's hatchery, they can speed up the process. They were able to breed the resistant ones."

On the average day the lobsterman is up at 4 a.m. to get bait. He's at his boat at 5:30 a.m. and out on the water by 6 a.m. "In summer you pull traps for 6 to 7 hours - pulling them, talking the lobster out and baiting them. You go in around 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

"Then you bring the lobsters to the market and put the boat away. If there is anything broken, you have to fix it. Like an electrical short to fix. It's a long day. It's hard money," he said.

"July, August, November and December are the four months you try to make your money. There are guys who go out every day in those four months.

"You can only go lobstering when they are potting, willing to go into lobster pots to eat the bait. When they are shedding they aren't interested in eating."

When he isn't lobstering, Mr. Samek digs for clams.

He said some lobstermen have so much gear that they have to spend their off time getting ready their 1,000 or so traps, to fix and clean and fix their boat too. "It's an all consuming process, the business of lobstering."

Mr. Samek wasn't hopeful about creating a lobster hatchery. "Nature does a pretty good job. There is nothing you can do. It's a disaster, but nature will take care of it. In the long scheme of things it will work out. It's (just) tough on the guys," he said.

A lobster hatchery would mean waiting five or six years till it works - by that time nature will probably correct it. The disease-resistant lobsters will breed themselves and you'll have lots of lobsters again, he said.

Why does he like lobstering? "To be independent. To do your own thing.

"I taught history and economics at Syosset High School for 27 years. It was a lot of fun. It was a good job."

While he was teaching he started lobstering part time. "That was how I got hooked. Then I got into the Baymen's Association. I always fished. I always spent a lot of time on the water. That's part of the fun of the job."

Mr. Samek said, "This year about every small fish survived during the summer. There was no hypoxia. (The condition where decaying material eats up all the oxygen and there is no air for the fish.)

"There were weakfish, porgies, black fish. stripped bass, sea bass, blue fish, and hopefully next year, we'll see baby flounders.

"There were a lot of fluke in the Sound. The Sound was alive with fish! It was a fantastic summer and fall too."

Mr. Samek sounded optimistic in spite of the problems with the lobsters!

"You can bark at the moon but what good does it do. There's a farmer with a hay crop and it rains and ruins the hay for that year. Why is he a farmer? Because he loves what he does. They're not doing it for the money. They love what they're doing."

So does Mr. Samek!