Coast Guard seizes 1,100 lobsters in Mass.

BOSTON – A New Bedford-based fishing vessel illegally caught hundreds of lobsters, then removed the eggs from about half the females so they could be sold, the Coast Guard said Monday.

Coast Guard officials said the seizure Sunday was among their most significant in recent years. More than 1,100 lobsters, more than double the legal limit, were hidden under boards, ice and tarps aboard the Lutador II, officials said.

Most of the lobsters were female. It’s illegal to catch female lobsters while they have eggs, and about half of the females showed signs of having been “scrubbed” of eggs.

“Fishermen scrub the eggs using bleach and brushes, then attempt to sell them,” said Petty Officer Andrew Shinn.

All the illegal lobsters determined by a state biologist to have a reasonable chance of survival were returned to the sea, Shinn said. The remainder will be sold and proceeds held in escrow.