They weren't lobsters ~ just crawdads that looked like lobsters at some point in their lifecycle.
Besides that, they were a non-native, invasive species, kind of like starlings and danderlions, neither of which the fish and game guys are trying to eradicate.
I think good, red-blooded 'Muricans should eat good, red-blooded crawdads taken from their castles in the bottoms anyway. That's what my grandparents did, and if they did it, it's good enough for me!
I understand where you are coming from, the point I was making was that this was a full on swat team raid on a harmlesss guy, just trying to make a living in the middle of nowhere, which I must tell you, is quite difficult.
I met this "Lobster guy' a couple of years ago, there is no way his "livestock" could have gotten into the springs with the endangered fish.
P.S. Dandelions make a great salad and starlings can be made into a meat pie.