A marine scientist, a politician and a lobsterman walked onto a dock. Together, in frigid wind chill, they pulled experimental, ropeless lobstering gear from the water — gear that most lobstermen loathe. The Maine Department of Marine Resources held its first public demonstration day last Tuesday, where anyone — in and out of the industry — could see how the gear, still being developed, might work. And for some lobstermen, it felt like the first time the state was listening.
