Should NH repeal the ban on collecting seaweed at night?

Rep. Brandon Phinney is sponsoring a 2018 bill that would repeal the ban on collecting seaweed at night on New Hampshire beaches.

The proposal is a repeat of a bill that failed in 2016. The ban on collecting seaweed was targeted after a group of lawmakers created a contest for students to identify New Hampshire's "dumbest law."

"(The seaweed law) is unenforceable, it’s silly, no other state has it, and absolutely no one knows why it’s on the books."

- former state Rep. Max Abramson

Environmental advocates disagreed, however. They pointed out that the ban on collecting seaweed at night is designed to make it easier for law enforcement or fish and game officials to make sure seaweed harvesters are following other regulations, such as harvest limits.

"With only 18 miles of shoreline, New Hampshire could quickly be depleted of this natural resource by unregulated activity."

- Rep. Jonathan Manley

Do you think the ban on collecting seaweed is New Hampshire's "dumbest law" or a reasonable protection for coastal environments? Let us know in the comments below.