Lobstermen get very protective of their "territory" here in Maine, and even more protective when there are hard economic times. Lobstermen have been landing record hauls of lobsters the last few years but the recession has cut deeply into demand and the wholesale price is way down. To their credit the Maine lobstermen do the best job of conserving the breeding stock on the East Coast, there being an upper size limit to what they can keep for sale. The demise of the fisheries has also added to sustaining the lobster population, as less young and tender lobsters are lost to predators. Newcomers are generally not welcome. My brother and I who were born and raised in Maine were perplexed that our paltry dozen traps were frequently vandalized by the resident lobstermen, but our parents were from away!