July 2012 - Maine Lobstermen`s Association

Transcription

M AINE
LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION
Better Informed, Better Decisions
Sen. Collins
promotes Maine in Asia
by Senator Susan Collins
I
recently had the privilege of participating in the World Economic Forum
in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok.
The Forum included productive meetings with Southeast Asian leaders to discuss issues of defense, and regional and
national security.
To mark my visit, the U.S. Embassy
in Bangkok hosted a “Promote Maine”
week that showcased Maine-made products and introduced them to Thai businesspeople, including major grocery importers. A highlight of the week was a
breakfast featuring Maine products and
showcasing Maine lobster, hosted by the
Continued on page 6
Senator Susan Collins (center), U.S. ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney (second from left) and staff
members at an event promoting Maine lobster and other state products in Bangkok.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Kelley.
U.S. Postage Paid
Brunswick, ME 04011
PRST STD
Permit No. 65
ORION
TASTE THE
“King of the Lobster Roll”
by Sarah Paquette
C
oastal towns throughout the
state are gearing up for summer
and the influx of tourists looking for
the Maine experience. A key aspect
of summer in Maine is, of course,
the iconic lobster roll. The Clam
Shack in Kennebunkport has always
served lobster rolls, but recent appearances on national television have
increased the demand for their version of the classic roll.
Three summers ago, the Travel
Channel’s Food Wars show came
to Kennebunkport to find out who
served the best lobster roll: Alisson’s
Restaurant or The Clam Shack. Steve
Kingston and his team were declared
the winners with their fresh lobster
meat covered in butter and served
Continued on page 18
Freshly picked lobster meat and delicate rolls equals
success for Steve Kingston of The Clam Shack in
Kennebunk. Photo by Sarah Paquette.
Proud Sponsor of the MLA!
ORION DIFFERENCE!
Orion Seafood International
20 Ladd St, Third Floor
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 433-2220
www.orionseafood.com
Project Maine Lobster gets positive
reception from lobstermen
By Melissa Waterman
I
Maine Lobstermen’s Association
21 Western Ave. #1
Kennebunk, ME
04043
July 2012 Vol 20, No 7
n June the Lobster Advisory Council took its message
– that additional emphasis must be put on marketing
Maine lobster in the global marketplace – to lobstermen
along the coast. Four meetings were held to explain the
strategy developed during the winter months, called
Project Maine Lobster, to those most affected by the
current low price of lobster.
Project Maine Lobster is a three-year plan which emphasizes building a brand identity specifically for lobster
from Maine and then boosting overall demand for lobster, much as demand has been built for other products
such as blueberries or cranberries. To do that, a brand
identity must be forged for Maine lobster. That brand
must then be applied to all forms of lobster, processed
or live, and focused marketing efforts undertaken to
build global demand. These actions will result in a significant increase in demand, which in turn, will lead to a
higher price paid to lobstermen for their catch.
As John Sauve, president of the Food and Wellness Group, a marketing firm in Portland, and author
of Project Maine Lobster, repeated at all four meetings, “We are here to present a possible solution, to get
something good to happen. If you don’t do anything,
nothing will change.”
Lobstermen and dealers who attended the Yarmouth meeting agreed that building demand for Maine
Lobster is clearly the first step required to boost the
price. The approximately twenty people attending the
meeting discussed that many consumers don’t understand what makes a Maine lobster special, thus creating
a brand identity for those lobsters will be very important. Sauve said that currently Maine Lobster is a name,
not an identity. Such an identity would involve telling
the story of Maine lobstermen – how the lobster is
caught, how the populations are managed, the fact that
all lobstermen are independent businessmen.
Continued on page 5
INSIDE
Don’t touch that trap
page 3
Lobster Academy
page 4
The Art of Fishing
page 15
2 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2012
Maine Lobstermen’s
Association
Advocating for a
A
sustainable
lobster resource
and the
fishermen and
ccommunities that
depend on it
Since 1954
S
Board of Directors
•••
President: David Cousens
So. Thomaston, 207.594.7518
1st VP: Jim Dow
Bass Harbor, 207.288.9846
2nd VP: Brian McLain
New Harbor, 207.677.3377
Sec/Treasurer: Arnold Gamage, Jr.
So. Bristol, 207.644.8110
Bob Baines, Spruce Head, 596.0177
Shane Carter, Bar Harbor, 288.0236
Dwight Carver, Beals, 497.2895
Gerry Cushman, Port Clyde, 372.6429
Jim Henderson, Camp Ellis, 468.4363
Robert Ingalls, Bucks Harbor, 255.3418
Mark Jones, Boothbay, 633.6054
Jason Joyce, Swan’s Island, 526.4109
Jack Merrill, Islesford, 244-4187
Tad Miller, Matinicus, 372.6941
Mike Myrick, Cushing, 354.6077
Brad Parady, Kittery, 337.3141
Kristan Porter, Cutler, 259.3306
Lawrence R. Pye, Small Point, 389.9131
Willis Spear, Yarmouth, 846.9279
Jay Smith, Nobleboro, 563.5208
Craig Stewart, Long Island, 846.3158
Elliott Thomas, Yarmouth, 846.6201
John Williams, Stonington, 367.2731
Donald Young, Cushing, 354.6404
Jack Young, Vinalhaven, 863.4905
Staff
•••
Executive Director
Patrice McCarron
207.967.4555
[email protected]
Industry Communications
Coordinator
Melissa Waterman
207.691.2330
[email protected]
Whale Projects Coordinator
Heather Tetreault
[email protected]
Education Coordinator
Annie Tselikis
[email protected]
Education Assistant
April Gilmore
[email protected]
Communications Assistant
Sarah Paquette
[email protected]
The MLA newsletter is published monthly. It is
provided for free to all Maine lobstermen thanks
to the support of newsletter sponsors. This month’s
sponsor is Orion Seafood International.
Maine Lobstermen’s Association
21 Western Ave., #1
Kennebunk, ME 04043
[email protected]
www.mainelobstermen.org
Our newsletter is now online!
Steaming Ahead
D
uring the month of June, there was a sense of panic in the
lobster industry as the price of lobster seemed to enter a
free fall. It’s hard to imagine a worse way to kick off the lobster
season than with a slip price that starts with a “2.” From the
MLA’s perspective, this has been both concerning and frustrating
and, as we all know, there is no easy fix.
I’ve talked to a lot of people to understand the cause of the
situation, and listened carefully for potential solutions. Every
lobsterman I spoke with raised serious concern over the boat
price and his or her fear of not making any money despite working hard. If you could strip the realities of the world away, one
might surmise that the solution is simple -- if you’re not making
money, you shouldn’t fish. However, the reality for nearly every
Maine lobsterman at this time of year is that you can’t afford not
to fish – even for a $2.50 lobster. Cash flow is a serious issue,
and if you’re not fishing, you have no cash flow. As price drops,
human nature will push lobstermen to fish harder and pray for
more lobsters.
I got a bit more of a mixed response from dealers on this
crisis. Most have expressed concern over the volume of lobster
being landed and worries about the quantity of early shedders.
The lobster market is complex between the live and processed
sides and dealers vary widely in their connection or access to
various segments of the market. This translates into some dealers being able to continue to move product, while others struggle
to do the same.
So why is the price so low this spring, compared to other
years? Remember, it’s not just what’s happening in Maine that we
need to think about. Yes, our season was early, and yes, we landed
a lot of lobster in June. But that would not have felt like a crisis
if the Canadians were not in the midst of record landings this
spring. Our neighbors to the north land more lobster than we do
in Maine, and the performance of the Canadian fishery greatly
impacts us. Some individual ports in Canada have recorded 30%
and 40% increases in landings over last year which means that
Canada has already landed a lot of lobster this year! Add to that
an early season in Maine and you have a market that is oversupplied with lobster.
In my opinion the overarching reason for this spring’s lobster
price is that there is simply too much lobster in the supply chain.
I know that many lobstermen don’t believe this, because they do
not see significant landings at their dock. But the
marketplace is so much bigger and more complex
than what happens on any single boat, in any single
port, in any single region of the state, or even in
the state of Maine as a whole.
When there is an over-supply of lobster, things
get tricky for the dealers. Some dealers have access to multiple product forms – both live and
processed – which gives them access to many different market outlets. Other dealers are dependent
upon a single buyer and so may not be able easily
to move their product. In these situations, some
may operate at a short-term loss to keep their lobstermen fishing. Others will lower the price and
use this to undercut their competitors in order to
move product. With both lobstermen and dealers
doing what they each do best – catching and selling lobster -- the end result is to drive the price
down. At some point the price will bottom out,
stimulating new demand, leading to more buying
of the product.
I think there are two reasons for optimism right
now. The Canadian fishing season ended June 30,
which is also the official start of summer in New
England. With additional Canadian landings out
of the picture until November, the existing Canadian lobsters can move through the supply chain.
And the influx of throngs of tourists to Maine and
throughout New England will add much-needed
demand to our live market. The law of supply and
demand tells us that this should spell some relief
for the industry.
As this season settles down, we need to think
about what, if any, changes we would like to see
moving forward. There has been a lot of talk
about potential management changes to help the
industry ease into the shedder fishery rather than
jumping in like gangbusters. These are suggested
ideas that have come from lobstermen for discussion and should not be misinterpreted as MLA’s
agenda. Suggestions include holding off the start of the season, implementing a rolling start to the season, taking additional
days off during the week, increasing the gauge size for certain
months, and yes, some have even suggested trap reductions. All
of these ideas come with pros and cons and none are without
controversy. But the lobster industry is long overdue for a discussion about new ideas and what could be achieved through
any of them.
Lobstermen do have some options available now through the
zone council system – including limiting the number of lobster
traps fished, when fishing takes place, and the time of day when
lobster fishing may occur. Such changes would require a referendum in the zone in order to propose a rule change to the DMR
Commissioner. The process is time-consuming and would not
accomplish much unless all of the zones worked together on a
cohesive statewide strategy.
Perhaps the most promising effort is currently underway by
the Lobster Advisory Council, which recently concluded a series
of four meetings throughout the state to talk about launching
a marketing program called Project Maine Lobster. The goal is
to build global demand for Maine lobster based on a targeted
marketing strategy with a $3 million budget. The LAC will meet
again on July 18 to continue discussions on this initiative. Project
Maine Lobster will not affect this year’s season, or even the next
few, yet a comprehensive program to build global demand for
Maine Lobster could lead to a stronger boat price and a more
stable future for our industry if it moves forward.
I wish there were a magic bullet that I could offer the industry to ensure strong landings and prices. Unfortunately, there
is not. I urge you to talk to your dealers about what is going
on in the market right now. You should know what your dealer
is up against, who he sells to, and ultimately how your product
reaches customers. And think about what you can do to ensure
that Maine is putting a high quality product into this extremely
competitive marketplace.
I welcome your comments and appreciate any constructive
suggestions you have to offer.
As always, stay safe on the water
July 2012
Don’t touch that trap!
By Lieutenant Jon Cornish, Maine Marine Patrol
O
ver the past three to four years, Marine Patrol has received a significant increase in requests for shore zone and island lobster trap clean-ups. These requests have come through several organizations, including the State Planning Office,
Maine Island Trail Association and many private groups. As most know, Marine
Patrol and the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) have also been involved
with the offshore derelict lobster trap clean-ups conducted by the Gulf of Maine
Lobster Foundation. Several of these have been conducted over the past couple
of years. Our role has been to assist with outreach to fishermen whose traps are
retrieved, as well as helping to determine what gear is salvageable and what gear can
be recycled safely. In addition, Marine Patrol plays an oversight role to ensure gear is
not mishandled and that lobstermen have an opportunity to get their lost gear back.
Gear that is salvageable and is not claimed is taken to our watercraft facility in
Rockland, where it is stored for a minimum of thirty days. By law, lobster gear can
be discarded or sold once the State has held it for a minimum of thirty days, as long
as an effort has been made to reach the owner in the case where traps have tags. In
all cases, the entity planning the gear clean-up and/or retrieval is obligated to go
through DMR in order to handle traps.
Whenever possible, fishermen should mark their traps
in an inconspicuous manner so that they can always
identify them even when tampered with.
There are several situations in which an individual may come in contact with a
lobsterman’s gear unintentionally. The basic rule of thumb is never take into possession a trap that does not belong to you unless you have covered yourself from potential prosecution. However, DMR does not want fishermen to leave recovered lost
traps on the bottom when they can be brought to shore. The following are examples
of how to accomplish this:
You are dragging for shrimp/herring/groundfish/scallops and you hook into a
lobsterman’s abandoned trawl and bring it up off the bottom. In this case, Patrol is
MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION
3
Guest Column
fine with you hanging onto the lost gear in an effort to
return it to the fisherman. You would need, however,
to contact your local Patrol Officer or office and let
them know you had the gear, or contact the fisherman and let him know you have his traps. Otherwise,
you run the potential of possession of gear without
permission.
You are a lobsterman hauling gear and you pull
up lost gear with your traps. The same protocols exist as in the first example. Call Marine Patrol or the
fisherman to ensure you cover yourself. Either bring
the gear into the dock or buoy it off for the owner to
retrieve later.
You find abandoned traps on the beach with no
tags. In this case, you must leave the traps unless you
have permission from Marine Patrol to remove them.
These traps still belong to someone, and if you were
to place your tag in them and fish them you would be
placing your lobster license and livelihood in serious
jeopardy.
Lieutenant Jon Cornish is head
of Division 1 of Maine Marine
Patrol, based in Boothbay Harbor.
Photo courtesy of DMR.
You find traps at the local landfill and decide to take them because you feel they
have been discarded and will just be destroyed otherwise. A very poor decision.
Generally lobstermen do not discard usable traps at the landfill; therefore, it is likely
that someone found them and discarded them there. The bottom line is that they do
not belong to you and should be left alone. If you take them and the owner sees you
with them, or Marine Patrol gets a complaint and inspects your gear, you may well be
placing yourself in a very difficult situation.
All traps that you fish should be accounted for with a bill of sale, unless you built
them yourself and, in that case, can easily identify them. It is essential that fishermen
keep accurate records pertaining to the traps they possess and fish. Whenever possible, fishermen should mark their traps in an inconspicuous manner so that they can
always identify them even when tampered with. Refer any trap salvage questions to
either your local Marine Patrol Officer or to one of the Marine patrol Offices located
in Boothbay at 633-9595 or Lamoine at 667-3373.
Learning by doing at East Coast Seafood’s Lobster Academy
By Annie Tselikis
D
eer Island, New Brunswick is a seven mile unbridged island with a year-round population of
600 people. At the head of Passamaquaddy Bay, the
island is surrounded by herring weirs and salmon pens
– infrastructure that speaks to both the tradition and
the future of the local marine economy in the region.
After a six hour drive from Portland, a short boat ride
from St. Andrews, and a two-mile drive down a bumpy
island road, it dawns on me – it was a long journey to
get to my destination. There at the end of the road
sit two large industrial buildings which constitute East
Coast Seafood’s Paturel plant. Situated on a 350-acre
property, the Paturel plant processes an average of 17
million pounds of raw product annually and is home to
the largest lobster pound in the world. At full capacity
the pound can hold a staggering two million pounds
of lobster!
I visited Paturel as part of a tour organized at the
Lobster Academy, a program offered by East Coast
Seafood to increase “the value of Homarus americanus
worldwide through quality education”. The ‘students’
in this unusual academy consist of representatives
from customers, lobster buyers, shippers and packaging industry representatives. My group included buyers
for Sobey’s, one of only two national Canadian grocery
chains, the lobster buyer for Slade Gorton, East Coast
sales representatives from the southeast United States
and Spain, product development specialists, a buyer
and a chef from a small cruise ship company in the
Pacific northwest, and a writer from the only fish business magazine in Germany.
I found one of the most striking aspects of the
Lobster Academy to be that the people in attendance
weren’t solely East Coast’s customers. The goal of the
Working the line at East Coast Seafood’s Paturel plant on Deer Isle, New Brunswick. Photo by Annie Tselikis.
Lobster Academy is simply to increase the knowledge
base about lobsters and the processing system. So, customer or not, this program provides the people who
purchase lobster with an increased understanding of
the industry and the product they handle.
Before the tour of the plant, East Coast president
Michael Tourkistas explained that the plant, while
seemingly far away from major transportation hubs
like Boston or Halifax, is strategically located on Deer
Island. “We are located in the hub of lobster landings.
We can get the best lobster in the world from the dock
to our plant within 2.5 hours.” Tourkistas spoke about
East Coast’s commitment to the sustainability of lobster populations, the Deer Island community, and the
environment. He emphasized the company’s commitment to raising the industry standard for environmen-
tal responsibility, citing the company’s use of biodiesel
for trucking lobsters and the move to 50% solar energy at their Chelsea, Massachusetts freight forwarding
facility. In addition, all shell waste from processing is
composted or recycled.
The company’s most recent environmental improvement has been in the area of packaging. The
seafood industry has traditionally used a wax-coated
cardboard box for shipping, but the waxy finish prevents the cardboard from being recycled. East Coast
has begun using a new box designed by Norampac, a
Canadian company that produces a recyclable waterrepellant box for perishable refrigerated products.
I witnessed first-hand how seriously Paturel views
product quality. Quality control at the plant starts immediately when the lobsters are offloaded from trucks.
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July 2012
5
Project Maine Lobster continued from page 1
During the Rockland meeting, at which approximately 50 lobstermen and dealers
attended, much of the discussion focused on paying for Project Maine Lobster. The
plan’s budget calls for $3 million raised over the three-year period, with 25 percent
of the money coming from dealers and 75 from lobstermen, based on the current
funding formula for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. Lobstermen would see
either an increase in the license fee phased in over three years or a combination of
increased license fee and trap tag fees.
Sauve noted that right now individual processors, such as Shucks Maine Lobster
and Cozy Harbor Seafood, are doing all they can to promote their individual products. But that is not the same as boosting overall generic demand for Maine lobster
in the world’s markets. “The processors and buyers don’t have enough weight to
move demand for lobster,” he said to the Rockland audience. “No one segment
[of the industry] is going to alter the boat price.” The investment made by dealers
and processors is what holds demand at its current level. Additional investment in
marketing Maine Lobster is needed to boost that demand.
While a few lobstermen questioned the funding mechanism for Project Maine
Lobster, the majority noted that the cost per person was modest. “A $500 investment for a $3 million marketing campaign – that’s a great deal,” said Jason Hooper,
a lobsterman from South Thomaston. Even some dealers in the audience felt that
this strategic plan would help their businesses and thus, they should contribute more
money to its success. A straw poll taken at the close of the meeting indicated that
most in attendance would be willing to pay around $500 more per year for a strong
marketing program.
Many of the approximately 25 lobstermen attending the meeting in Machias
were concerned that, no matter how strong a marketing program would be, the
financial benefit would flow to the dealers, not to the lobstermen themselves. Sauve
countered this opinion, noting that “this is an opportunity for the industry to take
control of the identity of its product and feel connected to the market place. The
Maine lobster industry has never seen what an effective generic marketing campaign
could do.” If this strategic plan works, then lobstermen should experience Fourth
of July demand for lobsters throughout the year, he added. It’s all based on supply
and demand. Since the supply is high and it’s unlikely that lobstermen will institute
management measures to limit supply, then demand must be increased to get a
higher price. Dealers will pay more for a product that is in high demand.
The tone at the Ellsworth meeting remained positive despite questions about
the plan’s funding. The approximately 80 people in attendance seemed to understand quickly Sauve’s statement that if nothing is done, nothing will change. The
proposal to include asunset provision in the plan, which means that it would not
be another program that goes along forever without a means to end it, seemed to
reassure some of those concerned about the increase license or tag fees. As Dwight
Carver of Beals said, “For so long we’ve been sitting back. We do nothing and then
complain that the prices are low. It’s my responsibility to pay more for this plan to
change that.”
The Lobster Advisory Council will meet on July 18 to discuss the feedback from
these outreach meetings and consider next steps. If you were unable to attend the
meetings, and have feedback to offer, contact Bob Baines at rsbaines566@gmail.
com or Annie Tselikis at [email protected].
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From the Dock
Marine Stewardship Council
Certification Update
T
he Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which has designated the sustainability
of over one hundred fisheries around the globe through its certification process, is considered by many to be the standard bearer against which other certifiers
are judged. In today’s global marketplace, many retailers and restaurant chains not
only prefer but now expect that their seafood products be certified sustainable.
Because of its rigorous and exhaustive methods, MSC certification can take
years from initial assessment to final certification. In fact, the Atlantic Red Crab
assessment process took over eight years and Oregon Dungeness crab took seven
years. Four years ago, a group of industry stakeholders (The Fund for the Advancement of Sustainable Maine Lobster) began investigating the possibility of obtaining MSC certification for Maine’s lobster fishery. They believed the MSC label
would be advantageous because of the increasing number of seafood buyers who
demand it. They also believed MSC’s traceability requirements could help to differentiate Maine Lobster from its competitors.
The Fund continues the MSC process
and is making significant progress, but the
process is by no means complete. Advocates
of MSC certification plan to keep industry
informed in all phases of the process, and
will conduct outreach with fishermen and
other stakeholders before moving forward. A
complete update will be given at the August
Lobster Advisory Council Meeting and a full
article describing the MSC certification process and what it could mean to Maine’s
lobster fishermen will appear in the August issue of the MLA newsletter. Please
stay tuned for what should be an interesting update and possibly very good news
for the Maine Lobster industry in the near future.
For questions, please contact John Hathaway at [email protected] or
Togue Brawn at [email protected].
Senator Collins continued from page 1
American Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, for U.S. and Thai business
leaders.
Asia is one of Maine’s key growth areas for trade. Thailand is a market for
Maine products, with nearly $6 million in exports last year, but it could import
much more. The effort to help strengthen commercial ties and promote Maine
exports is the result of outstanding collaboration by the Embassy and the Maine
Lobster Promotion Council, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, the Maine
International Trade Center, and the Maine Office of Tourism.
Thailand is America’s oldest non-European ally, with a friendship based on
trade that dates to 1818, when an American ship visited what was then called Siam
with a letter from President James Monroe. In 1833, this friendship was strengthened by the Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
Our two countries share one of history’s most fascinating stories. In 1861,
America was in the midst of a Civil War. The King of Siam, His Majesty King
Mongut, offered to send a herd of trained war elephants to aid the Union and
the cause of freedom. Abraham Lincoln had to turn down the gift, citing the
unsuitable North American climate for the animals, but the kind gesture was not
forgotten.
On that foundation of goodwill, the United States and Thailand today cooperate on a wide range of issues, including education, public health, security, and, of
course, business and trade. Maine plays an important role in the partnership of
commerce between our two countries. While Maine is best known for lobster and
blueberries, our leading exports to Thailand actually are vaccines for veterinary
medicine, coated paper, seaweed-based additives for food and medicine, and communications equipment.
The Asian market, however, holds great promise for Maine’s important $350
million lobster industry. With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside
the United States, we should look for opportunities to introduce Maine Lobster
to new marketplaces and to promote the Maine brand. Exports are not likely to
replace the domestic market in terms of importance to the industry. But the more
buyers who know that the “Product of Maine” label means quality, the better our
industry will fare.
Thailand is America’s oldest friend in Southeast Asia. As we strengthen trade,
we will not only strengthen our friendship but also continue to grow and create
new opportunities for Maine’s lobster industry.
July 2012
New Recruit
By Melissa Waterman
A
lex Hutchins stands with his hands in his pockets on a mild June day. Before
him in a shed at the Boothbay Region Boatyard is the Morning Star, a 36-foot
wooden BHM built in 1980. The boat last belonged to Chad Gamage of South
Bristol. Morning Star’s paint is a bit chipped and worn but its sheer makes a pretty
curve. Alex, age 27, couldn’t be happier. “I own her outright,” he said with a quick
smile. “And she’s a lot easier on my body. It’s a night and day difference with a
wooden boat.”
Alex is a busy man. After graduating from Boothbay High School he went
to Rhode Island where he studied for an Associate’s degree in marine technology at
the New England Institute of Technology. He came back to Maine and worked in a
multitude of boatyards, including this one where his father had worked for sixteen
years. He now works as the on-call mechanic for Sheepscot Bay Boat Company
and a marina in Georgetown. In addition, he started fishing with the Double Eagle,
the 1929 wooden herring carrier berthed in Rockland, three years ago. Now he is
A busy man on Southport Island
the vessel’s hydraulic engineer, on
call 24 hours a day during the herring season. His pride in the boat
is evident. “The Double Eagle is
an absolute Cadillac,” Alex said.
“She’s extremely comfortable, and
everything is set up extremely well
for fishing.”
In addition, Alex is a lobsterman. “I’ve been fishing since
I was eight out of Southport,” he
explained. “I started after high
school with a 26-foot boat and
worked here at the yard full-time.”
After a year or two he gave up the
full-time job – “I didn’t like the
forty hours a week, nine to five”
– and settled into lobstering. Since
he is in Zone E, Alex runs 600
traps in a limited area off Southport Island. “I fish in an area about
a mile wide and seven miles long Alex keeps busy with as a lobsterman, boat mechanic, and
with one hundred other boats,” he
shrimping in the winter. Melissa Waterman photo.
said ruefully. “Yeah, it’s crowded
and getting more so.”
Alex believes that the zone council system instituted in 1996 has actually
caused much of that crowding. “It’s the worst thing that they could have done,” he
said. “They pushed guys into a corner and now they say ‘that’s my territory’ and
that’s it.” He fishes with his father as his sternman.
He sells his catch to Robinson’s Wharf and gets his bait, mostly herring, pogies and redfish, from Kettle Fish is Boothbay Harbor owned by David Reingardt.
“I’ve never had any problem getting bait from David,” Alex said.
In the winter, Alex turned his hand to shrimping. This past winter he went
dragging with a friend; the previous winter he tried shrimp trapping. “I hate shrimp
trapping,” he said emphatically. “It’s too much like lobstering. I don’t like picking
out shrimp on my hands and knees.” So this next winter Alex will be using a new
Alex’s new boat came all the way from South Bristol. M. Waterman photo.
Continued on page 8
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Long Island
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7
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How to Catch a Lobster in Down East Maine
Cutler woman publishes first book
By Melissa Waterman
H
ow to Catch a Lobster in Doewn East Maine hit
the bookshelves in May. Written by Christina
Lemieux Oragano, the 160-page book provides a thorough look at the art of lobstering in a lesser-known
region of Maine.
Christina, 34, grew up in Cutler, the daughter of
lobsterman Norbert Lemieux. She began working on
her father’s boat during the summer months when she
was ten years old. “My father said to us [Christina and
her older brother] ‘This is a family business. You are
all going to help out,’” she recalled. “I started painting
buoys when I was oh, about seven or eight years old.”
Christina attended Washington Academy High
School in East Machias before going to Colby College
in Waterville. She graduated in 1999 with a double major in English literature and psychology and then took
stock of what to do next. Many of her friends were
heading to Boston or other east coast cities but Christina felt the urge to go further from her home territory.
“I liked culture,” she explained. “And I figured that I
would never have that much freedom again.” So she
packed her bags and moved to San Francisco to pursue
a career in advertising.
She soon found work and settled into a new world.
“It was such an exciting place to be,” Christina said. By
2007 she was transitioning from visual advertising into
the expanding field of digital advertising, using blogs,
social media sites and other new tools to promote products. As part of that shift, she decided to start her own
blog. But not just any blog. “I wanted to do something
“I think that lobstering today is
sort of in its golden age...These are
the good years.”
that others weren’t writing about. And I am passionate about lobstering,” she explained. Thus was started
“Notes from a Lobster Fishing Village” (http://notesfromalobsterfishing village.blogspot.com).
In the meantime, Christina moved from San Francisco to New York City and from there to London as
her advertising career blossomed. She filled her blog
with links to interesting stories about lobsters and
Maine lobstermen as well as recipes, tips on how to
freeze lobster, and her own comments about the lobstering world she knows so well. Still, it came as a big
surprise when, two months after giving birth to her
daughter in 2009, she received an email from The History Press, based in Charleston, South Carolina, asking her to write a book on the history of lobstering.
“They sent me a note saying that they liked the blog
and would I be interesting in submitting a proposal,”
Christina said. “I was still wrapped up in being a new
mother but I thought ‘now’s the time.’” She persuaded
the company that a book about contemporary lobstering would be better received than a lobstering history
book and then sat down to the task of research and
writing.
“I found that to be very exciting and satisfying,”
Christina said. She used information provided by the
Department of Marine Resources to determine how
many lobstermen were in each port, their average age
and even the names of their boats. She drew on the
knowledge of Sheila Dassett, head of the Downeast
Lobstermen’s Association, to devise a questionnaire
sent to 200 lobstermen in that association with a variety of questions pertaining to lobstering. Among those
Just a few months after giving birth to her first child, Christina
Lemieux Oragano was asked to write a book about Downeast
lobstering. C. Lemieux photo.
questions was one asking each lobsterman to rank his
satisfaction level from a scale of one to ten, with ten
being extremely satisfied. Christina was astonished by
the response. “Over 60 percent of the fishermen said
that they were extremely satisfied with their job,” she
said. “They could write in what they liked best about
lobstering and nearly everyone said independence or
freedom.”
“How to Catch a Lobster in Down East Maine” is
now in Barnes and Noble stores across the country as
well as a variety of bookstores in the state. Christina
has purchased a number of the books herself to sell
when she returns to Maine in August. In addition, she
has set up a page on Amazon’s Web site to sell her
book directly to consumers.
“I think that lobstering today is sort of in its golden
age,” Christina noted. “The stock is strong, lobstermen
are getting good catches. These are the good years.”
She plans to be at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland on August 4th for a book signing event in the
marine tent, then in Winter Harbor the next weekend.
“This has been very gratifying,” Christina said, referring to completion of her first book. “It’s important
to me that the lobstermen feel I’ve told the story well.”
New recruit continued from page 7
News & Comment for and by the Fishermen of Maine
NEW ENGLAND’S MOST READ
COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWSPAPER
Subscribe Today! Send check or money order for $18.*
along with the information below to: Fishermen’s Voice
P.O. Box 253 , Gouldsboro, ME 04607
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Email: [email protected]
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from Eastport to Kittery and on to Cape Cod. www.fishermensvoice.com
rig on his boat. He has teamed up with
Steve Eayrs, a research scientist at the
Gulf of Maine Research Institute in
Portland, to try out an Australian-designed set of doors called bat wings.
The doors allegedly reduce bycatch
and fuel expense due to their innovative shape, which Alex likens to a wind
surfer sail set backwards. “We’ll see
how that goes,” Alex said.
With his very busy life, Alex hasn’t
much time to dwell on issues in the lobstering world such as new right whale
protection rules. What bothers him is
common to most lobstermen this year:
price. “It’s my biggest gripe,” he commented. “Fluctuation in prices is worse
here than other places because here
you have only one purchaser. Ninety
percent of the lobsters in this area go
to Cozy Harbor. I think there’s always
room for a little competition. It would
be a welcome addition to the harbor.”
July 2012
9
Coast Guard safety measures increase
By Kevin Plowman, U.S. Coast Guard
T
he Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 was
signed into law on October 14, 2010 and requires the Coast Guard to develop and implement
new safety regulations for commercial fishing industry vessels.
While the new regulations have not yet been written to implement all of the changes contained in the
new law some aspects of the new law have already
come into force and others will be coming into force
on July 1, 2012.
Construction standards for commercial fishing
vessels of less than 50 feet in length came into force
on January 1, 2010. The new construction standards
requires all commercial fishing vessels of less than 50
feet in length meet at least the standards for recreational vessels. The construction standards for recreational vessels can be found in 33 CFR Part 183 and
at http://law.justia.com/cfr/title33/33-2.0.1.8.44.
html. Currently recreational vessel standards are in
place for:
• Safe loading
• Safe powering
• Flotation requirements
• Electrical systems
• Fuel systems
• Ventilation
• Start in gear protection
• Navigation lights
Construction standards for commercial fishing
vessel of at least 50 feet in length come into force on
July 1. These new standards require that all commercial fishing vessels operating beyond 03 miles from
land and built after July 1, 2012 must be surveyed and
classed by a recognized classification society, for example, American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd’s Register of shipping, or Det Norske Veritas. Surveying and
Classing of your vessel will require close cooperation
between the owner, builder and classification society.
The new law requires commercial fishing vessels
79 feet or more in length and built or substantially
altered after July 1, 2012 to be assigned a Load Line.
While the requirements for load lines on commercial
fishing vessels is yet to be developed the implementation date is fast approaching.
The new law changes the carriage requirements
for primary lifesaving equipment. After January 1,
2015 life floats and buoyant apparatus will no longer be accepted for commercial fishing vessels operating beyond 3 nautical miles. When these vessels
are required to carry primary lifesaving equipment
either an inflatable buoyant apparatus or a life raft,
depending on how far offshore they operate, will be
required to be carried. With the limited number of
authorized life raft servicing facilities here in Maine
and New Hampshire the scheduling and servicing of
your life raft/inflatable buoyant apparatus will need
to be closely coordinated with the servicing facilities.
Additional aspects of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 require the Coast Guard to develop
and implement new safety regulations. What does
this mean to you? If you fish inside the 3 nautical
mile line, not much, if you fish beyond the 3 nautical
mile line there are some significant changes coming
your way.
The commercial fishing vessel safety regulations
will be the same whether your vessel is state registered or federally documented and the “line” where
additional safety requirements become applicable will
no longer be the Boundary Line. The Boundary Line
will be replaced with the 3 Nautical Mile Line. This
line is clearly displayed on most nautical charts.
Most of the changes affect commercial fishing
vessels operating beyond the 3 nautical mile line. So
what are the new requirements for commercial fishing vessels?
All commercial fishing vessels operating beyond
the 3 nautical mile line will be required to:
• carry a marine radio
• carry sufficient medical supplies for the size
of the vessel and the area of operation
• carry adequate ground tackle (anchor)
• The operator of a commercial fishing vessel
operating beyond the 3 nautical mile line will
be required to:
•
maintain a record of emergency equipment
maintenance and a log book of the required
drills and safety instructions
Complete a training program and possess a valid
certificate issued under the program. The training
program will include seamanship, stability, collision
prevention, navigation, fire fighting and prevention,
damage control, personal survival, emergency medical care, emergency drills, and weather. Credit can be
given for recent experience in fishing vessel operations. An individual will be required to complete a refresher course every five years.
All commercial fishing vessels operating beyond
the 3 nautical mile line will be required to complete
a dockside examination every 2 years and possess a
valid Certificate of Compliance.
The Act also establishes a Fishing Safety Training Grants Program and a Fishing Safety Research
Grants Program.
The Coast Guard is working to complete this
rulemaking, but the process takes time and includes
public notice, time to receive comments, and time
to implement the new regulations. The Final Rule
will state when specific requirements will take effect
and could provide for phase-in periods for fishing
vessel owners/operators to bring their vessels into
compliance. In conclusion, new regulations are coming; some are already here. Stay informed and work
within your industry groups to help steer the course
of these changes.
Lobstermen can call commercial fishing
vessel safety examiner Kevin Plowman at
207-780-3256 or 207-899-6278 or email
at [email protected] with any
questions or to schedule a free dockside examination.
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10 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION
July 2012
A new voice emerges among Maine’s fishing associations
By Sarah Paquette
F
ishermen are not, as a rule, known for being cooperative. Yet the success of many fishing industry
organizations in Maine suggests that people have been
able to put their differences aside and come together
as a voice for their particular fishery. Just this spring, a
new shrimp association formed to give shrimp trappers
a stronger voice.
Stephanie Pinkham, the founder and executive
director of the Maine Shrimp Trappers Association
(MSTA), said the association was formed after the
shrimp season this past year was cut short by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).
Tim Simmons, left, president of the new Maine Shrimp
Trappers Association and association vice-president George Gilbert.
Stephanie Pinkham photo.
“This year ASMFC divided trappers and trawlers. They
didn’t do it on purpose, but we ended up not having
a season because of it,” she said. Shrimp trappers began their season on February 1 and then were closed
down when the total allowable catch limit was reached
on February 17.
“Trappers felt like they were sold out. We couldn’t
go out until February 1 and had a trip limit of a thousand pounds a day. We only got 17 days,” said MSTA
member Arnie Gamage of South Bristol. He said trappers were given a trip limit of one thousand pounds a
day while trawlers had no catch limit, just a time limit
each day they went out. “When we could go out, the
weather was nasty. I got out thirteen out of the seventeen days.” But, he said, it was probably what the
shrimp trappers deserved since not many people attended meetings when the catch limit was set.
“Johnny Seiders and I were the only two trappers
at the October meeting held to set the season. We got
what was handed to us. We really needed to organize
and get a voice at the meetings,” Gamage said. Pinkham
said she got encouragement from Terry Stockwell
from the Department of Marine Resources to organize a group of trappers. “Now we have representation
at meetings. Timmy Simmons [MSTA president] just
met with the governor,” Gamage said with pride. He
said the group is not against shrimp trawlers, they just
want to be treated fairly and have a chance to fish. “Just
because we are also lobstermen doesn’t mean we trap
shrimp for fun. It’s part of our income.”
“The association is great. The current board is full
of energy. It’s still new to them. They are travelling
around the state, taking money out of their own pockets to do so. That’s why I want to see the membership
grow – it costs money to travel,” Gamage said with
experience from serving as director to the Maine Lob-
A short trapping season for Pandulis borealis this winter prompted
creation of a new fishery organization. NOAA photo.
stermen’s Association.
Jeffrey Peirce, executive director and founder of the
Alewife Harvesters of Maine said they, too, formed to
give the fishery a stronger voice in the management
process. “We started in February 2007. We were driven
by Amendment 2 [to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan]. I got a letter in the mail from ASMFC that
said ‘Dear former alewife harvester’. It was a wake-up
call,” Peirce said. The amendment would have closed
the fishery on January 1, 2012 unless a sustainable
management plan was developed and submitted for
approval by January 1, 2010.
“After that I attended a meeting about the amendment. I found out there had been two others in the
state, but they were not well publicized,” Peirce said.
“We got a group of 50 people to attend the next meeting. If we hadn’t gone, or if there were only three of
us, we probably wouldn’t have had a fishery. We needed
to show the state that we care.”
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July 2012 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION
11
Lobster Academy continued from page 4
A protein test, which examines the blood sugar level of the lobster, is administered
as well as a shell test. On a scale of 1 to 30, any lobster with a blood sugar level
above 10 rates as a shippable lobster. Lobsters are then packed for shipment to
Europe, the United States or Canada. After being graded and boxed, the lobsters
are trucked to East Coast’s freight forwarding facility in Chelsea, Massachusetts and
shipped from Logan Airport in Boston around the world. Lobsters can reach Europe within three days.
Lobsters slated for processing move from the live building to the processing
building where they undergo another series of quality checks before being sized
and graded for quality. The higher quality product is cooked whole and frozen. The
steamer is a behemoth computer operated machine that sits in a room the size of
a tennis court. Lesser quality product is butchered and the tails, claws and knuckles
make their way down the line. Tails are fresh frozen, while claws and knuckles are
cooked and separated to be processed for claw and knuckle meat or into individually
quick frozen (IQF) claw and arm “crack and eat” products.
Clad in hair nets, booties, white coats and gloves, our tour moved onto the processing floor and I was surprised by both the similarities and differences from plants
I have toured in Maine. The Maine processors are located close to Portland where
they have good workforce access. The floors of the Maine plants are multicultural
melting pots where hand washing station signs appear in both English and Spanish,
speaking to the high level of Latino workers. I was expecting it to be different in
Canada, especially on such a tiny island. Instead, I found groups of Filipino men
managing claws coming out of the cooker and cracking the shells in preparation
for picking. Trays of cracked claws are stacked and then move over to the picking
line and transit a conveyor belt surrounded by a mix of Deer Island residents and
Filipino women. On the day that we were there, their fast hands worked to separate
claw and knuckle meat that is then bagged, vacuum packed and frozen.
I ask the head of quality control, Jamie Olsen, what it’s like shifting to Maine
Lobster in the spring. “It’s a nightmare for the Maine season”, Olsen said. His explanation shocked me. I suspected that processing soft shells was different than for
hard shells, but it was eye opening to hear him refer to it as a “nightmare”. He continued, “We have to be really careful with the shells and increase our quality control
steps in processing.” Olsen told me that because the meat yield is lower in soft shell
lobsters, extra workers are added on the line because more lobsters must be picked
to reach one pound of meat. And shedder lobster shells shatter more than hard shell
lobsters, so they place six more people onto the inspection line. I knew that much of
Maine’s cull and soft shedder product went to Canada for processing, but I had no
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idea of the extra costs associated with processing Maine’s product.
“And when we shift from hard shell product to processing soft shell product,
sometimes we get complaints from our customers. The soft shell lobsters have a
different presentation [in food service and restaurant sectors], and we have to explain to them that the quality changes throughout the year,” Olsen explained. “But
it tastes sweeter.”
One thing that I love about my job with the MLA is the opportunity to learn
about different sectors of the lobster industry. Since I am most familiar with the
harvesting side of the industry, discovering the different components of the supply
chain is truly eye-opening. Seeing such a large-scale lobster processing facility first
hand and how the infrastructure works to move lobsters into the marketplace provides insight on both the successes and the limitations of the product from Maine.
We really need to know our product and understand the marketplace. This will help
us to make informed decisions on how to build demand for a variety of quality
Maine Lobster products.
Many hands at work picking lobster. Annie Tselikis photo.
ACCOUNTANTS
Williams CPA Group LLC
PO Box 839
Rockport, ME 04856 207-236-8781
AUTOMOTIVE
July 2012
Lunds Fisheries Inc.
David Brand
997 Ocean Dr.
Cape May, NJ 08204 609-884-7600
[email protected]
www.lundsfish.com
Seafood.com News
8 White Pine Lane
Lexington, MA 02421 781-861-1441
[email protected]
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
Bell Power Systems Inc.
Bob Tokarczyk
34 Plains Rd
Essex, CT 06426
860-767-7502 / 800-225-8669
www.bellpower.com
Eastern Tire & Auto Service
70 Park St
Rockland, ME 04841
207-594-5250
www.easterntireinc.com
New England Fish Co.
Suzannah Raber, Gage Ashbaug
446 Commercial St.
Portland, ME 04101
207-253-5626 [email protected]
www.raberfisheries.com
Harold C Ralph Chevrolet
Steve Ralph
PO Box A
Waldoboro, ME 04572 800-310-5321
[email protected]
O’Hara Corportation
120 Tillson Ave
Rockland, ME 04841 207-594-0405
[email protected]
Blackmore Electronics
Blaine Blackmore
PO Box 82
Stonington, ME 04681
207-367-2703
[email protected]
Purse Line Bait
32 Bakers Wharf Rd
Sebasco Estates, ME 04565
207-389-9155
[email protected]
Pete’s Marine Electronics
101 Washington Rd
Waldoboro, ME 04572 207-350-2500
Hews Company LLC
190 Rumery St
South Portland, ME 04106
207-767-2136 / 800-234-4397
[email protected]
www.hewsco.com
Island Fishing Gear & Auto Parts
PO Box 292
207-367-5959
[email protected]
Morrison Chevrolet/Fisher Plow
Distributor
121 Downeast Highway
Ellsworth, ME 04605 877-523-6118
www.morrisonchevrolet.com
Newcastle Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep
573 Rt. 1
Newcastle, ME 04553
207-563-8138 / 888-944-5337
[email protected]
www.newcastlemotorcars.com
15% all parts and service to MLA members with card. Not to be combined with
other offers.
Weirs Motor Sales Inc
1513 Portland Rd
Arundel, ME 04046
207-985-3537
[email protected] www.weirsgmc.com
BAIT DEALERS
Alfred Osgood
PO Box 358
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
Bessy Bait LLC
155 R Batchelder Rd
Seabrook, NH 03874
603-300-2846 / 603-300-2849
[email protected]
www.bessybait.com
Superior Bait and Salt
Glenn Hall
21 Balsam Lane
Tenants Harbor, ME 04860
207-372-8925
Worcesters Lobster Bait
Bruce Worcester
259 Bowden Point Rd
Prospect, ME 04981 207-469-7585
[email protected]
BOAT BUILDERS/BOAT REPAIR
SW Boatworks
Stewart Workman
358 Douglas Highway
Lamoine, ME 04605
[email protected]
www.swboatworks.com
Wesmac Custom Boats
PO Box 56
Surry, ME 04684 207-667-4822
[email protected] www.wesmac.com
2% discount on fiberglass components
DOCUMENTATION SERVICE
Coastal Documentation
111 Dennision Rd
Spruce Head, ME 04859 207-596-6575
[email protected];
www.coastaldocumentation.com
Northeast Marine Survey, Inc
PO Box 231
Bailey Island, ME 04003 207-833-0954
[email protected]
www.northeastmarinesurvey.us
10% off the commercial rate
EDUCATION AND TRADE SHOWS
Diversified Business Communications
Bait Man Co. LLC
Al West
PO Box 69
Cape Porpoise Lobster Co Inc
184 Beachwood Ave
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
207-967-0900
[email protected]
www.capeporpoiselobster.com
Channel Fish Co
370 East Eagle St
East Boston, MA 02128
617-569-3200
[email protected]
Dropping Springs Lobster & Bait Co.
Anthony Robinson
6A Portland Fish Pier
Portland ME, 04101
207-272-6278
207-518-9049
PO Box 7437
Portland, ME 04112 207-842-5500
[email protected]
www.divbusiness.com
Mount Desert Oceanarium
PO Box 696
Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
Free admission to MLA members
Maine Fishermens Forum
PO Box 288
Bath, ME 04530 207-442-7700
[email protected]
Midcoast Marine Electronics
532 Main St.
Rockland, ME 04841
207-691-3993 www.midcoastmarine.com
Sawyer & Whitten Marine
36 Union Wharf #9
Portland, ME 04101 207-879-4500
Sawyer & Whitten Marine
118 Tillson Ave
Rockland, ME 04841
207-594-7073 www.sawyerwhitten.com
[email protected]
FINANCIAL & INVESTMENT SERVICES
Damariscotta Bank & Trust Co
25 Main St
Damariscotta, ME 04543
207-563-8121
[email protected]
www.damariscottabank.com
Farm Credit of Maine ACA
615 Minot Ave
Auburn, ME 04210
207-784-0193 800-831-4230
[email protected]
www.farmcreditmaine.com
Maine Financial Group
Jim Amabile
15 Pleasant Hill Rd
Scarborough, ME 04074
207-885-5900 800-974-9995
[email protected]
Penobscot Marine Museum
5 Church St
Searsport, ME 04974 207-548-2529
Show your MLA card for free entry
Polyform US
7030 S 224th
Kent, WA 98032
253-872-0300
fenders@polyfor
www.polyformus
Grundens USA Ltd
PO Box 2068
Poulsbo, WA 98370
360-779-4439 / 800-323-7327
[email protected]
www.grundens.com
Promens Saint J
Mike Kilpatrick
PO Box 2087
Saint John, NB E
800-567-3966/5
sales.sj@promen
www.promens.c
Guy Cotten, Inc
782 South Water St
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-997-7075 / 800-444-6050
[email protected]
www.guycottenusa.com
Hamilton Marine
155 E Main St
Searsport, ME 04974
207-548-2985
100 Fore St.
Portland, ME 04101
207-774-1772
20 Park Dr.
Rockland, ME 04841
207-594-8181 / 800-639-2715
[email protected]
www.hamiltonmarine.com
Discounts for MLA members
Island Fishing Gear & Auto Parts
PO Box 292
Stonington, ME 04681 207-367-5959
[email protected]
Jeff ’s Marine, Inc
2 Brooklyn Heights
PO Box 236
Thomaston, ME 04861 207-354-8777
[email protected]
Logtek Inc
Tim Bourque & James Roy (ME sales)
Box 98, RR 2
Tusket, NS BOW 3M0 Canada
207-510-1763 / 888-840-1089
[email protected]
[email protected]
Maine Coast Petroleum, Inc
PO Box 295
Rockland Savings Bank
Harry Mank
582 Maine Street
Rockland, ME 04841 207-594-8465
www.rocklandsavingsbank.com
Midcoast Marine Supply
153 New County Rd
Thomaston, ME 04861
207-594-0011
[email protected]
www.midcoastmarinesupply.com
The First
PO Box 940
207-563-3195 / 800-564-3195
[email protected]
www.thefirst.com
Neptune Inc
39 Slater St
Attleboro, MA 02703
508-222-8313 / 800-642-7113
[email protected]
www.neptune-inc.com
FISHING, MARINE & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES
All Points Marine
PO Box 543
Narragansett, RI 02882 401-284-4044
[email protected] www.apmco.us
Discounts available to MLA members
Neptune Marine Products Inc
PO Box 2068
Port Townsend, WA 98368
206-789-3790
www.neptunemarineproducts.com
New England Marine & Industrial Inc.
[email protected]
Maine Maritime Museum
Amy Lent
243 Washington Street
Bath, ME 207-443-1316
[email protected]
www.mainemaritimemuseum.org
Free admission to MLA members
Chase Leavitt & Co.
72 Commercial St.
Portland, ME 04112
207-772-6383
[email protected]
www.chaseleavitt.com
Bath Lobster Supply
340 State Rd, Suite B
West Bath, ME 04530
207-386-3225
www.brookstrapmill.com
200 Spaulding Turnpike
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-436-2836 / 800-492-0779
[email protected]
www.newenglandmarine.com
buoysticks.com
3628 Turner Ridge Rd
Somerville, ME 04348 207-549-7204
[email protected]
www.plantebuoysticks.com
North Atlantic Power
Sam Profio
15 Continental Dr.
Exeter, NH 03833
10% off all service repairs
Spongex LLC
James Welch
3002 Anaconda
Tarboro, NC 27
jwelch@spongef
www.spongexfoa
Superior Marine
15 Murray Drive
Raymond, ME 0
207-655-4492
superioroffice@f
www.superiorma
WD Matthews M
901 Center Street
Auburn, ME 042
207-784-9311
jgreven@wdmatt
www.wdmatthew
Vessel Services In
1 Portland Fish P
Portland, ME 04
vesselservices.com,v
Viking Wet Weat
R. Scott Edwards
Alliance Mercant
2557 Park Road
Lake Oswego, O
503-803-6660
scotte@alliancem
www.alliancemer
HYDRAULICS
All Points Marine
David Allard
330 Great Island
Narragansett, RI
401-284-4044/80
[email protected] ww
Coastal Hydraulic
PO Box 2832
Seabrook, NH 0
603-474-1914
sales@coastalhyd
10% discount on al
Cushing Diesel, L
26 Spear Mill Rd
Cushing, ME 04
354-0600, cell 54
diesedave6312@y
Hews Company L
190 Rumery St
South Portland, M
207-767-2136 / 8
[email protected]
www.hewsco.com
Lonnie’s Hydraul
227 Middlesex R
Topsham, ME 0
207-725-7552
Marine Hydraulic
17 Gordon Dr
Rockland, ME 0
207-594-9527
marinhyd@midc
INDUSTRY ORGANIZAT
Gulf of Maine L
PO Box 523
Kennebunk, ME
207-985-8088 er
www.gomlf.org
13
Highliner business members are noted in BOLD.
2
rmus.com
s.com
John
k
E2L 3T5
506-633-0101
ns.com
om
Rd.
7886 252-563-1101
foam.com
am.com
Island Fishermen’s Wives
PO Box 293
Island Institute
PO Box 648
Rockland, ME 04841 207-594-9209
[email protected]
Maine Import/Export Dealers Association
PO Box 10228
Portland, ME 04104 207-775-1612
[email protected]
www.mainelobsterdealers.com
Maine Lobster Promotion Council
2 Union St.
Portland, ME 04101
207-541-9310
[email protected]
www.lobsterfrommaine.com
Products Inc
04071
fairpoint.net
arineprod.com
Machinery Co
t
210-6456
thews.com
ws.com
nc.
Pier
101 207-772-5718
[email protected]
ther Gear
s
tile, Inc.
R. 97034
mercantile.com
cantile.com
e
Rd
02882
00-682-2628
ww.apmco.us
cs Inc
03874
d.com
ll in stock items.
LLC
4563
42-5399
yahoo.com.
LLC
ME 04106
800-234-4397
m
m
lic Inc
d
04086
c Engineering Co Inc
04841
oast.com
TIONS
Lobster Foundation
E 04043
[email protected]
Maine Port Authority
16 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
207-624-3560
[email protected]
www.maineports.com
Cozy Harbor Seafood Inc
PO Box 389
Portland, ME 04112
207-879-2665
[email protected]
www.cozyharbor.com
Kent’s Wharf
31 Steamboat Hill
Swans Island, ME 04685
Howard and Bowie
Clayton Howard
PO Box 460
207-563-3112
Craig’s All Natural
25 Winecellar Rd.
Durham, NH 03824
603-397-5331
[email protected]
207-354-8997
Nicholas H Walsh PA
PO Box 7206
Portland, ME 04112
www.nicholas-walsh.com
25% off hegal services to MLA members
Cranberry Isles Fishermens Coop
PO Box 258
Islesford, ME 04646
207-244-5438
LEGAL SERVICES
Doyle & Nelson
150 Capitol St
Augusta, ME 04330 207-622-6124
[email protected]
www.doylenelson.com
LOBSTER/SEAFOOD/WHOLESALE/RETAIL
Atlantic Edge Lobster
71 Atlantic Ave
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
Atwood Lobster Co
PO Box 202 Island Rd
Spruce Head, ME 04859
F W Thurston Co Inc
PO Box 178
Bernard, ME 04612
207-244-3320
Finest Kind Scenic Cruises
PO Box 1828
Ogunquit, ME 03907
207-646-5227
[email protected]
www.finestkindcruises.com
207-596-6691 www.atwoodlobster.com
Maine Sea Grant
5784 York Complex, Bldg 6
Orono, ME 04469 207-581-1435
[email protected]
www.seagrant.umaine.edu
Penobscot Bay & River Pilots Assn
Jeffrey Cockburn
18 Mortland Rd.
Searsport, ME 04984 207-548-1077
[email protected]
Penobscot East Resource Center
PO Box 27
207-367-2708
[email protected]
www.penobscoteast.org
INSURANCE
Allen Insurance and Financial
Chris Guptill
34-36 Elm St., PO Box 578
Camden, ME 04847
207-263-4311
[email protected]
www.alleninsuranceandfinancial.com
Atlantic Insurance & Benefits
58 High St
Belfast, ME 04915
207-338-9787 / 800-948-1457
[email protected]
www.atlantic-insurance.com
Chapman & Chapman
PO Box1030
207-563-3143 / 800-370-3143
[email protected]
The Compass Insurance Group
Paul Miner
PO Box 880
Waldoboro, ME 04572 207-790-2300
[email protected]
www.lobsterboatinsurance.com
InSphere Insurance Solutions
Rick Williams
PO Box 74
207-963-4111
[email protected]
Smithwick & Mariners Insurance
366 US Route One
Falmouth, ME 04105
207-781-5553 800-370-1883
[email protected]
Discounted vessel insurance for MLA
members. Additional 5% discount if Coast
Guard-approved Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor course completed within 5 years.
Bayleys Lobster Pound
PO Box 304
207-883-4571
[email protected] www.bayleys.com
Beals Jonesport Coop Inc.
PO Box 195
Jonesport, ME 04649
207-479-2020
[email protected]
BBS Lobster Trap
188 Pettegrow Point Rd
Machiastport, ME 04655
207-255-8888
Calendar Islands Maine Lobster LLC
Portland, ME 04101
207-541-9140
[email protected]
www.calendarislandsmainelobster.com
Canobie Seafoods, Inc
1077 Bar Harbor Rd
Trenton, ME 04605
207-667-2250
[email protected]
Fishermen’s Heritage Lobster Coop
PO Box 359
Friendship, ME 04547
207-832-6378
Friendship Lobster Coop
PO Box 307
Friendship ME 04547
207-832-4435
Garbo Lobster
PO Box 334
Hancock, ME 04640
207-422-3217
[email protected]
Georgetown Fishermen’s Coop
89 Moores Tpke
Georgetown, ME 04548
Glens Lobster Co
12 Abner Point Rd
Bailey Island, ME 04003
207-833-6138
[email protected]
Graffam Brothers Seafood Market
PO Box 340
Rockport, ME 04856 207-236-8391
[email protected]
www.lobsterstogo.com
Cape Porpoise Lobster Co Inc
184 Beachwood Ave
207-967-0900
[email protected]
www.capeporpoiselobster.com
Hannaford Brothers
145 Pleasant Hill Rd.
207-833-2911
[email protected]
Captain Dutch Lobster Co.
PO Box 393
South Thomaston, ME 04858
207-596-7655
[email protected]
Holden Seafood Corporation
93 E 7th Street
New York, NY 10009 212-387-8487
[email protected]
www.lukeslobster.com
Chrisanda Corp.
9 Ferry Rd
Lewiston, ME 04240
800-448-7663
[email protected]
HR Beal & Sons Inc
182 Clark Point Rd
Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
207-244-3202
[email protected]
www.bealslobster.com
Conary Cove Lobster Co Inc
83 Conary Cove Rd
Deer Isle, ME 04627
207-348-6185
Interstate Lobster Inc
PO Box 269
Harpswell, ME 04079 207-833-5516
Cooks Lobster House
PO Box 12
Bailey Island, ME 04003 207-833-6641
[email protected]
www.cookslobster.com
Island Seafood, LLC
32 Brook Rd
Eliot, ME 03903
207-439-8508
[email protected]
Corea Lobster Cooperative
PO Box 99
Corea, ME 04624 207-963-7936
[email protected]
‘Keag Store
4 Elm St, PO Box 76
S. Thomaston, ME 04858 207-596-6957
Kips Seafood Co
117 River Rd
Cushing, ME 04563
Lake Pemaquid Inc
PO Box 967
207-563-5202
[email protected]
www.lakepemaquid.com
Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster
PO Box 368
Rockland, ME 04841 207-975-2502
[email protected]
www.LindaBeansMaineLobster.com
Little Bay Lobster Inc
158 Shattuck Way
Newington, NH 03801 603-431-3170
[email protected]
www.littlebaylobster.com
Lobster Products Inc
64 Tidal Falls Rd
Hancock, ME 04640 207-422-6238
[email protected]
Millers Wharf Lobster LLC
PO Box 486
207-372-8637
Muscongus Bay Lobster
28 Landing Rd
Round Pound, ME 04564
207-529-2251
[email protected]
www.mainefreshlobster.com
New England Fish Co.
Suzannah Raber, Gage Ashbaug
446 Commercial St.
Portland, ME 04101
www.raberfisheries.com
New Harbor Co-op
Linda Vannah
PO Box 125
New Harbor, ME 04554
Orion Seafood International
20 Ladd St.
Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-433-2220
[email protected]
Pemaquid Fishermen’s Coop
PO Box 152
New Harbor, ME 04554
PJ Lobster Company
Alan Leck, Jonathan Seavey
399 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210 617-946-2930
[email protected]
www.pjlobster.com
Port Clyde Fishermen’s Coop
PO Box 103
Port Clyde, ME 04855 207-372-8922
Port Lobster Co Inc
PO Box 729
www.portlobster.com
Portland Shellfish Co, Inc.
92 Waldron Way
Portland, ME 04103
207-799-9290
[email protected]
www.pshellfish.com
Post Brothers Inc
PO Box 541
Rockland, ME 04841 207-594-5824
Quahog Lobster Inc
5 Lobster Lane
Harpswell, ME 04079
207-725-6222
[email protected]
Ready Seafood
Hobson’s Wharf
Portland, ME 04112 207-541-3672
[email protected]
www.readyseafood.com
Open Ocean Trading LLC
Keith Flett
30 Western Ave
Gloucester, MA 01930 978-515-7683
[email protected]
www.openoceantrading.com
Rome Packing Co., Inc.
Adam S. LaGreca
2266 Pawtucket Avenue
East Providence, RI 02914
401-228-7170 800-985-7663
[email protected]
www.romepacking.com
Seaview Lobster Co.
PO Box 291
Kittery, ME 03904
www.seaviewlobster.com
Sea Hag Seafood
48 Wallston Rd.
Shengfei Trading Co.
Anson Chen
11974 Lebanon Rd, Suite 124
Cincinnati, OH 45241
718-313-8294
[email protected]
www.yimail68.com
Shucks Maine Lobster
150 Main St, Suite 4
Richmond, ME 04357
207-737-4800
[email protected]
www.shucksMaine.com
South Bristol Fishermen’s Co-op
Brenda Bartlett
PO Box 63
South Bristol, ME 04568
207-644-8224
[email protected]
www.southbristolcoop.com
Spruce Head Fishermen’s Coop
275 Island Rd
South Thomaston, ME 04858
207-594-7980
July 2012
Stonington Lobster Coop
PO Box 87
Stonington, ME 04681 207-367-2286
[email protected]
Fishermen’s Voice
PO Box 253
Gouldsboro, ME 04607
207-963-7195
Phil’s Lobster Roll Shop
Shelly McLellan
PO Box 578
Boothbay, ME 04532
Swans Island Fishermens Coop
PO Box 116
Swans Island, ME 04685
National Fisherman
121 Free St.
Portland, ME 04112
The Clam Shack
Steve Kingston
PO Box 6200
www.theclamshack.net
Vinalhaven Fishermens Coop
11 Main St, Box 366
Vinalhaven, ME 04863 207-863-2263
[email protected]
Weathervane Seafoods Inc
31 Badgers Island West
Kittery, ME 03904 207-439-0920
www.weathervaneseafoods.com
Winter Harbor Fishermen’s Coop
23 Pedleton Rd.
Winter Harbor, ME 04693 207-963-5857
[email protected]
MARINE ENGINES
All Points Marine
PO Box 543
Narragansett, RI 02882
401-284-4044
Bell Power
34 Plains Rd.
Essex, CT 06426.
860-767-7502/800-255-8669
[email protected]
Cummins Northeast, LLC
George Menezes
10 Gibson Rd.
207-510-2247
[email protected]
www.cumminsnortheast.com
Milton Cat
PO Box 960
207-833-9586
[email protected]
Northern Lights/Lugger
8 Connector Rd
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-7400 / 800-762-0166
[email protected]
www.northern-lights.com
NEWSPAPERS
Commercial Fisheries News
PO Box 600
Deer Isle, ME 04627
207-348-1057/800-989-5253
[email protected]
Discounted annual subscription
PROPELLERS
Accutech Marine Propeller Inc.
24 Crosby Rd Unit 6
Dover, NH 03820
603-617-3626
[email protected]
www.accutechmarine.com
20% off propeller repair to MLA members.
Discounts for new propellers, shafting, hardware.
Nautilus Marine Fabrication, Inc.
13 Industrial Way
Trenton, ME 04605 207-667-1119
[email protected]
New England Propeller Inc.
9 Apollo Eleven Rd
Plymouth, MA 02360 508-747-6666
[email protected], www.neprop.com
REAL ESTATE
Megunticook Real Estate
Ed Glover
19 Birds Loop Rd
Owls Head, ME 04854 207-504-7606
[email protected]
www.coastalmainere.com
REFRIGERATION SERVICES
Applied Refrigeration Services
7C Commons Avenue
Windham, Maine 04062 207-893-0145
[email protected];
www.appliedrefrigeration.com
$250 off new installations
RESTAURANTS
Barnacle Billys Inc
PO Box 837
Ogunquit, ME 03907 207-646-5575
[email protected] www.barnbilly.com
Bowdoin College Dining Services
3700 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011
Cod End, LLC
Susan Miller
PO Box 224
Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 207-372-6782
[email protected] www.codend.com
10% off Cook House and Market
Newick’s Hospitality Group, Inc
431 Dover Point Rd
Dover, NH 03820
603-742-3205 www.newicks.com
Why should you be an MLA member? Ask the Directors.
“I’m getting to be one of
the older guys out there, so
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Apply today! Fill out the application on page 2, call 967-4555 or email [email protected].
SAFETY TRAINING
McMillan Offshore Survival Training
PO Box 411
Belfast, ME 04915 207-338-1603
[email protected]
www.mcmillanoffshore.com
SALT
Maine Salt Company
677 Coldbrook Rd
Hermon, ME 04401 207-848-3796
[email protected] www.mainesalt.com
Superior Bait and Salt
Glenn Hall
21 Balsam Lane
207-372-8925
TRAP BUILDERS STOCK & SUPPLIES
All Points Marine
PO Box 543
Narragansett, RI 02882 401-284-4044
Branch Brook Farm
Ralph Dean
26 Sawmill Lane
Thomaston, ME 04861
Brooks Trap Mill
211 Beechwood St
Thomaston, ME 04861
207-354-8763
[email protected]
Eaton Trap Co Inc
12 Birchwood Rd
Woolwich, ME 04579
207-443-3617
[email protected]
Friendship Trap Company
570 Cushing Rd
Friendship, ME 04547
207-354-2545 800-451-1200
[email protected]
www.friendshiptrap.com
Discounts from 5 -10% depending onproduct
for MLA members who show their card.
Portland Trap
26-28 Union Wharf
Portland, ME 04101 800-244-8727
[email protected]
www.brookstrapmill.com
Sea Rose Trap Co
137 Pleasant Hill Rd.
207-730-2063
[email protected]
www.searosetrap.com
TRUCK REPAIR/LEASING
Cushing Diesel, LLC
26 Spear Mill Rd
Cushing, ME 04563 354-0600, (c) 542-5399
[email protected].
Howling Hill Transportation
PO Box 20
Bucksport, ME 04416
207-460-0134 [email protected].
Wa2much Trucking
Greg Holmes
PO Box 354
Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 542-9606
[email protected]
15
The Art of Fishing: Many generations pursue Gulf tuna
By April Gilmore
T
he Gilliam family from Phippsburg has many
collective years in the tuna fishing business. Eric
Gilliam, 40, of West Point has been fishing alongside
his family all his life. Although the Gilliam family has
worked in other fisheries, from shrimping to groundfishing, catching tuna is something Eric, uncle Glen,
62, and grandfather Merle Gilliam, 84, all have a great
passion for. “I grew up going with my grandfather
[tuna fishing] until I started going on my own ten or
eleven years ago,” Eric said. He remembers hearing
stories of his great-grandfather Oscar, who landed
over 6,000 pounds of tuna in one day at the annual
Bailey’s Island Fishermen’s Club Tuna fishing derby in
1952. Merle Gilliam has a photo album full of old photos and newspaper clippings of his father.
“If you know there’s been a lot of feed in the general area then that would probably be one of the first
places that you would check,” Eric said about knowing
where to find the fish. “It used to be that you could follow the gulls, but you don’t see it so much now.” Merle
recalls a time when a fisherman could follow schools
of herring to the tuna. Brit are baby herring. “The tuna
fish would go along underneath the brit and scare them
up to the top of the water. They weren’t feeding on
them, just scaring them up,” Merle said. He remembers
fishing from his boat the Dotti G, a 34-foot WestPointer. One day in the late 1940s he brought home twelve
tuna. “The boat was quite full,” he said drily.
Glen also recalls a time when tuna fishing was much
different than today. “When I was a kid you’d go a lot
of times during the summer,” he said. “Mainly what
you’d do is on the real good days, you’d go harpooning. On the bad days you would go and try to hook
them. Because in order to go harpooning you need a
real calm, flat day,” he said.
All three Gilliam men agree that things have changed
today. “The last few years I don’t think I’ve gone more
than eight or ten times during the summer due to the
fact that there are a lot of small fish around,” Eric said.
“It’s changed drastically even from five or six years ago,
let alone compared to when they were younger,” he
said referring to his father and grandfather’s generation. “In the 90’s the price was good. You’d have up to
fifteen buyers down on the wharf every night. Now I
think they say there are only five buyers for the whole
east coast. Sometimes there would be sixty fish on the
wharf that they would be bidding on,” Eric said. “Years
ago they called Mackerel Cove the heart of tuna fishing. We caught more over here than they ever thought
of,” his grandfather added.
The best part about tuna fishing to the Gilliams is
the thrill of harpooning. “The money’s good when you
get it, but the biggest part is the thrill of doing it,” Glen
said. Merle agreed. “I helped catch them for one cent a
pound,” he explained. “The money wasn’t that important. But you made a living at it.”
Tuna fishing is fading away as a common summer
fishery for most commercial fishermen. Eric feels it’s
important for the younger generation to appreciate the
generations of fishermen who pursued the migratory
fish in years past. He looks forward to teaching his fiveyear-old daughter Annika how to get out there and fish.
At this young age she already has five of her own lobster traps in the water.
The Weiner family from Ogunquit also has many
years in the tuna fishery. Steve, 59, and his sons, Ben,
24, and Chris, 30, all have their part in the family tuna
fishing business. They work from their 38-foot boat,
the Elizabeth Ames, which is specially rigged for tuna
fishing. “It really gets on them good,” Chris said about
the boat. “All three of us can do everything. Most of
the time I’m harpooning, my brother is spotting and
my Dad is driving,” Chris said about the team. “Harpooning is really only a small part of it, everyone does
something important.”
Fishing for tuna is all weather dependant. “The better the weather, the better the chances,” Chris said. But
nice weather doesn’t always mean good harpooning.
“Tuna are really picky, even if it is blowing only a couple knots, they may not act right simply because they
do not like the direction of the wind,” he said. “You
can be out there on a day that looks perfect and the fish
won’t come to the surface. But all of this is part of the
draw of fishing for bluefin,” Chris said.
Other environmental factors impact harpooning, as
well. “We pay very close attention to the water depth
and temperature,” he said. They seem to find most tuna
in the clear, warm, deep offshore water.
The key to catching tuna is to locate them up at the
surface. “The amount of bait is also key, with herring,
mackerel, sand eels and squid being the most impor-
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tant. Having a lot of bait around is critical to having a
good fishery off Maine,” he said.
Throwing a harpoon is no easy matter either. The
harpooner must know how it will travel through the
water. “My dad is really skilled at that,” Chris said. He
learned how to harpoon from his father’s many years
of experience. The Weiners go tuna fishing with a
12-foot aluminum electric harpoon which is thrown
manually. There is a wire running through the line into
the dart, and the person driving the boat will hit a button from the tower and shock the fish. The fish usually
stops dead in its tracks, the shock immediately killing
the fish. This method allows the men to get the fish in
To harpoon a tuna requires a calm day, patience and tremendous coordination. Photo by Ben Weiner.
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Lobster settlement index for 2011
Y
ear 2011 marks a historic coincidence in the
time course of the American Lobster Settlement Index that illustrates the ever widening gap
between northern and southern New England
lobster stocks: Just as mid-coast Maine’s settlement index reached an all-time high the Rhode
Island time series dipped to a disturbing all-time
low. In this same year, Maine’s lobster fishery
again boasted the highest landings on record,
exceeding the hundred million pound threshold, while the threat of a fishing moratorium still
looms in the memory of southern New England
lobstermen. In this issue of the Update we recap
the regional time trends and take a closer look at
the increasingly worrisome situation in southern
New England lobster nurseries.
Settlement 2011: Diver-based suction sample monitoring for the study areas with the longest
time series continue to show strong settlement to
the north and vanishingly low settlement south of
Cape Cod (Figs. 1 & 2). Most newsworthy is that
for the first time in the 22 year time series, the
six annually monitored sites in Rhode Island produced no settlers. It is important to be clear that
this does not mean there was no settlement in the
region; but it does mean that settlement densities
are falling below detectable levels with the current sampling effort. Gulf of Mainers shouldn’t
be complacent. Although most of the study areas
in the Gulf of Maine from Mt. Desert southward
have seen considerable upturns in the last year or
two, eastern Maine and the lower Fundy region
have fallen off the highs we saw 4 to 6 years back.
The time trend also agrees with the Lobster Bay,
Nova Scotia, study area most recently added to
the mix. The surge in Gulf of Maine lobster landings over the past decade has mostly occurred in
eastern Maine, New Brunswick and southwest
Nova Scotia. The implications of the downturn
in settlement for this region’s fishery remain unclear.
Vessel-deployed, collector-based settlement
monitoring has become well established in the
southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Nova
Scotia and the lower Fundy region (Figs. 1 & 3).
This large scale fisherman-scientist collaboration
has the potential to generate an especially important time series for Atlantic Canada. One emerging pattern is the consistently strong settlement
on Prince Edward Island’s north side and weak
settlement on the south side (Fig. 3). Northumberland Strait, between PEI, Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick, may become an area of concern
as physiologically stressful temperatures above
20°C (68°F) match those threatening southern
New England nurseries. Keeping monitoring going should be a top priority.
Growing concern for southern New
England nurseries: In 2011, with support
from the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, UMaine lobster scientists teamed with
RI Div. Fish & Wildlife, and RI Lobstermen’s
Association to initiate the first comprehensive
re-survey of Narragansett Bay lobster nurseries
since 1990. Divers conducted both suction sampling and visual surveys, revisiting all the location
sampled in 1990 along the bay’s north-south estuarine gradient, plus a few others of interest to
the industry. In 1990 dense populations of juvenile lobsters, comparable in number to those
of mid-coast Maine at the time, were found
on Rhode Island’s outer coast and well into the
mouth of the Bay (Figs. 1 & 4). The 2011 re- survey drove home the sobering realization of how
much nursery populationshad declined. Even
with this intensified sampling, no young-of-year
(YoY) lobsters were found in suction samples taken at any site. Supplemental sampling by collectors deployed at all the suction sampling sites
produced only a single YoY. These findings are
consistent with collector, suction sampling, and
brood stock surveys, in Rhode Island Sound and
Buzzards Bay, led by Bob Glenn of MA DMF
under a previous CFRF project (see Comm. Fish.
News, March 2012). The jury is still out as to the
key factors at play, but evidence is accumulating
that the combination of both warming sea temperatures and shell disease are increasing mortality and forcing remaining broodstock to deeper,
cooler, offshore waters where hatching larvae
are less likely to end up in coastal nurseries.
Looking Ahead: With the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program, ALSI will
launch a Web portal later in 2012 to streamline
data entry, reporting and outreach of settlement
index results. This will set the stage for a more
comprehensive assessment of the predictive
power of the index for time trends in the fishery
region-by-region over the next two years.
Shrimp trappers continued from page 10
Right now, the biggest issue alewife harvesters
are facing is the potential for the fish to be listed
as an endangered species. “They could be listed as
threatened or endangered in part of the country.
We wouldn’t have an industry if they are listed,”
Peirce said from Gloucester, Massachusetts where
he was attending a meeting about the health of
the alewife stock. He emphasized that the alewife
harvesters are inextricably linked to Maine’s lobstermen. “If it weren’t for the lobstermen, there
wouldn’t be alewife harvesters. We supply them
with bait, they supply us with income.”
The organization’s goal is to conserve alewives
and the river-fishing heritage of Maine. Attending
meetings to represent harvesters is one way the
group works to accomplish its goal. “We mail out
information to our members, have a Web site with
information posted regularly, and make phone
calls to inform people about important events
and changes in policy,” Peirce said.
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association also
works to give a voice to the few ground fishermen
left in the state. The association, formally the Mid
Coast Fishermen’s Association, not only makes
sure fishermen are aware of policy changes and
issues, but also works with fishermen on business
planning and management. “We’ve done a lot of
work with the Island Institute and the Nature
Conservancy as well,” added executive director
Ben Martens.
The association was formed in 2006 by a
group of Port Clyde fishermen when regulations
were shifting from days-at-sea to sector management. “They felt marginalized and over-looked in
the management process,” Martens said. Membership is made up of just fishermen right now,
explained Martens, but the association plans to
enlist community members as well. The board of
directors is made up of both fishermen and community members.
“We would like to rebuild the fishery and bring
it back,” Martens said. “But it will take more than
policy changes to bring it back. That’s why we are
doing business planning as well. We want the guys
to be able to have a successful business.”
The association members work well as a group,
according to Martens. “We’ve seen guys that have
never worked together coming together now. It’s
been great to see them sharing ideas.”
17
Meeting Roundup
Governor’s Workshop on Job Creation
June 13, Brunswick – Governor Paul LePage and
several of his key staff and state agency Commissioners met with business leaders in the areas of fishing,
marine resource industries and coastal tourism in a
working session on how to improve Maine’s economy.
Participants were asked to discuss their experiences
and challenges regarding job creation in Maine.
Following a keynote address by Governor LePage,
participants broke out in to smaller groups to discuss
regulatory reform, workforce issues and marketing
“The Maine Brand”. The regulatory reform sessions
were lead by the Governor’s Senior Policy Advisor,
Carlisle McLean, and the Commissioners of Environmental Protection and Marine Resources. The sessions
on workforce development were hosted by the Commissioner of Labor, and the Governor and his Senior
Economic Policy Advisor, John Butera, hosted the sessions on marketing “The Maine Brand”. The administration outlined the progress that has been made to
streamline regulation to create a more business friendly
Gov. LePage addresses the audience in Brunswick.
Patrice McCarron photo.
climate and participants identified a series of frustrations and areas for improvement.
Governor LePage referred to this Workshop on
Jobs Creation as a first step of many in reaching out
directly to Maine’s business community to get business
owners and operators at the table to talk about job creation in Maine. The Governor continues to welcome
suggestions, concerns or comments. He reiterated that
Maine is “Open for Business,” and the administration
remains available, willing, and ready to help.
MLA Directors’ meeting
June 5, Belfast – The MLA board of directors met
to hear the presentation by John Sauve, president of
The Food and Wellness Group, on Project Maine Lobster, an initiative of the Lobster Advisory Council to
improve the price paid to Maine lobstermen for their
catch. Amy Lent, director of the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, and Bill Brennan, president of the Maine
Maritime Academy, also attended.
Sauve spoke at length about the need to improve
demand for Maine lobster in order to boost the price.
Absent a sudden drop in the harvest, only by increasing consumers’ demand for our lobster will the price
move up. Project Maine Lobster is designed to increase
generic demand specifically for Maine Lobster through
a three-year strategic marketing plan. Sauve explained
that marketing is different than selling a product, why
there is such a need for branding Maine lobster to differentiate it in the marketplace, and how specific marketing messages could be developed. The Directors
discussed Project Maine Lobster and its possible effect
on the boat price.
Following up on business matters from the last
meeting, the directors focused on a revised member-
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Statoil meetings on wind power project
The Norwegian energy company Statoil held meetings in Portland, Boothbay Harbor and Rockland in
June to explain its plans for a pilot deep-water wind
project 12 nautical miles off the coast of Boothbay.
The company has leased a 22-square-mile plot of
ocean where it plans to construct four 3-megawatt turbines in about 500 feet of water. Statoil anticipates that
the turbines will be completed by 2016
The open house meetings provided the local community an opportunity to meet representatives of
Statoil and Tetra Tech, the consulting firm which is conducting the environmental assessment of the proposed
project area. Attendees included fishermen and fishing
industry representatives, elected officials, non-profit
organizations and members of the general public. The
environmental assessment of the project area began in
May 2012, and will take two years to complete. During
the meetings company officials stressed that they were
engaging with the local community early in the process
in order to help them to understand concerns and to
facilitate decision-making based on the best available
information.
Fishermen raised questions concerning the proposed pilot wind farm, including questions about
sound, vibrations and electromagnetic fields, fishing
access and siting of the turbines. Statoil consistently
stated that many decisions have not been made and
they encouraged the community to continue to communicate questions to the company.
July 2012
Clam Shack continued from page 1
on an airy hamburger roll. “The show didn’t air until
last winter, but they replayed the episode almost every month last summer,” Kingston said. “We’ve had
people come in because they saw the show and were
already sold on the product. People came in from all
over.” Kingston said he’s even had kids point him out
to their parents, saying “Look, that’s the King of the
Lobster Roll,” the title he was given by the Food Wars
team.
Kingston said the show increased his business, but
that without a quality product to back up the publicity,
he wouldn’t be successful. “We get all of our lobster
from Eric Emmons, a local fifth generation lobsterman. Because he brings me his catch every day, I can
say without a doubt that all of our lobster is fresh and
local.” Even the rolls that hold the lobster meat are
fresh and local. “We get our rolls from Reilly’s Bakery in
Biddeford. We wanted a roll that was light and airy and
that really let the lobster meat stand out.” The bakery
is a 100-year-old family bakery that has been supplying
rolls to the Clam Shack before Kingston owned it. The
previous owner, Richard Jacques, served his lobster on
Reilly’s hamburger rolls. “I considered changing to the
traditional hotdog roll because I have gotten some
comments on the hamburger roll,” Kingston said. “But
my wife talked me out of it. If it’s worked this long,
why should I change it?”
And clearly the Clam Shack’s lobster roll is working.
In early June Kingston was invited to participate in the
Tasting Table’s Lobster Roll Rumble in New York City.
The Clam Shack was one of twenty lobster roll makers to attend the event and the only one representing
Maine. “It was a lot of work to make it down to New
York City for the event. And it wasn’t cheap. Maybe
that’s why no one else from Maine accepted the invitation,” Kingston recalled. Since he couldn’t bring his
team with him to the show, he brought cardboard cutouts of lobsterman Eric, baker Mike Reilly, and ‘the
fastest mothershucker in Maine’, Mike Cymbrak. “We
also had a big sign with a picture of the Clam Shack
that said ‘From sea to NYC: Sea to table before we
knew what that meant’ and placed trading cards of
Eric Emmons, Mike Reilly, Mike Cymbrak and myself
in each boat under the lobster rolls.” Kingston said he
wasn’t expecting to win the Fan Favorite award when
he decided to attend the event. He was more interested in promoting fresh Maine Lobster than competing
against many well-know New York and national restaurants. But now that he has won, he is ready to see an
increase in business.
The Clam Shack’s trading cards were a hit at the Lobster Roll
Rumble in New York City. Sarah Paquette photo.
“We go through five to six hundred pounds of lobster in a day. Mike shucks about twenty five to thirty thousand lobsters in a summer with the team as a
whole shucking around sixty thousand,” Kingston said
as Cymbrak nodded in agreement while shucking lobsters at a rapid pace. Once the lobsters are shucked,
the claws, knuckles, and tails are placed into cups to
make sure each roll gets a full lobster. “We put in two
tails, two claws and two knuckles then weigh each cup
to make sure each roll has the same amount of meat.”
Many of the Clam Shack’s competitors chop up their
lobster meat and mix it in with mayonnaise. Kingston
thinks that method takes away from the sweet taste of
the meat. His method is to place large chunks of meat
on a toasted bun, with or without mayonnaise, and
drizzle it with melted butter. “We cook our lobsters in
fresh seawater and never freeze or refrigerate them,” he
explained as he checked on the lobsters cooking in the
boiling seawater at the back of the shack. The lobsters
come in crates which are then kept in tanks with seawater flowing from the Kennebunk River.
Kingston bought the Clam Shack twelve years ago
and timing, he said, has been a big part of their success. “The food media was just starting when I bought
theClam Shack. There really were no food magazines
or TV shows or networks about food back then,” he
said. That also happened to be the year George W.
Bush, then president, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin home to Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport.
“We supply the Bush family with all their seafood, including all the seafood they had at that state dinner. The
Europeans were fascinated with the meal. Mrs. Bush
finally got so tired of talking about the food that she
told them the Clam Shack was the provider. I did live
interviews with TV reporters from Russia,” Kingston
remembered. “We were lucky to get on the radar early.”
“I want to prove to lobstermen that there is a huge
opportunity to increase the market for Maine Lobster.
From kids to adults, they all get excited to see a lobster,
touch it, know where it came from. The rest of the
world doesn’t know how fascinated people are by lobstering. But I get to see it firsthand,” he said.
Kingston’s enthusiasm is hard to ignore. He wants
to see lobstermen succeed as much as he wants his own
business to flourish. “I’ve worked with the Maine Office of Tourism. Whenever people are in town to film
shows about lobster or even kayaking, they ask me to
treat them to lunch. We want to show them why Maine
lobster is the best. It’s not only good for me, but great
for Maine.” Kingston understands that lobstermen are
frustrated with the price of lobsters. He suggests creative thinking as a way to increase their profits. “Lobstermen need to think out of the box if they want better prices. Whether that means getting a dealer license
or selling lobsters on the side of the road, that’s their
choice. But they have to think outside the box.”
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19
Testing underway to understand chaffing groundlines problem
By Heather Tetreault
D
uring the Surviving the Whale Rules session at the 2011 Maine Fishermen’s
Forum, lobstermen reported that groundline chaffing occurred between the
first two traps in a trawl. Following the meeting the MLA reached out to lobstermen
along the Maine coast to see if the problem existed coast-wide. Lobstermen from
all areas of the state confirmed that chaffing generally occurred at one to two fathoms behind the header trap. Groundline chaffing poses a significant problem for
lobstermen due to gear loss, safety concerns and cost. Many lobstermen now report
replacing this section of groundline frequently in order to prevent potential losses.
Based on the feedback from lobstermen, the MLA worked with the Consortium
for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction to organize a team of researchers to place underwater cameras inside lobster traps to document the groundline during a tidal cycle. The
goal is to obtain footage of the rope and observe the source of the rope chaffing
in one section of the line. The MLA has worked with the Consortium for Wildlife
Bycatch Reduction on multiple projects focused on allowing lobstermen to continue
fishing while reducing the likelihood of entangling a whale.
University of New Hampshire (UNH) scientist Ken Baldwin has rigged four
submersible cameras inside a four-foot trap, with 150-foot cables attaching the cameras to a video monitor. Phase one testing took place at UNH’s oceanographic engineering lab in the pool in early June. The camera set up will be piloted in at-sea
trials in early July before more extensive field trials are conducted in commercially
fixed gear during the late summer and fall months. During the pilot at-sea testing the
cameras will be mounted in the first trap of a triple and the camera will be moved to
various locations in order to find the ideal camera location to view the groundline.
Ken Baldwin, University of New Hampshire, re-wiring the monitor that is attached to the underwater
cameras. Photo by Heather Tetreault.
This four-foot trap will house the undeerwater camera array to monitor groundlines chaffing near the trap.
Heather Tetreault photo.
The pilot at-sea testing will take place in the Piscataquis River in Eliot, Maine, with
the assistance of Ben Brickett, owner of Blue Water Concepts Inc.
The equipment first will be deployed from a dock to ensure that it operates correctly. Next the equipment will be deployed in the River, on the F/V Jessie B. Video
footage will be recorded at different depths and under varied currents within the
river. Analysis of the video footage will be conducted at UNH to determine exactly
where the cameras should be mounted in the trap to guarantee they record chaffing
as it occurs.
In the second phase of testing, the team will deploy stand-alone cameras and
lights in commercially fished lobster traps. These cameras will be deployed in many
locations in Maine during one day trips with local lobstermen. By documenting the
behavior of the groundlines during fishing deployments, it is hoped that the cause
of the chaffing will be documented. This will enable lobstermen and researchers to
propose solutions that will lead to extending the life of sinking groundline.
Stay tuned for an update on this project and its results in future articles in the
MLA newsletter. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this
project contact Heather Tetreault at [email protected] or (207) 967-4555.
Membership has
its benefits!
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Maine Lobstermen’s
Association members
•
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July 2012
So you want to know:
By Melissa Waterman
O
ne would think that a creature so heavily armed as a lobster is would be invulnerable to most attackers. Unfortunately, a lobster, like most other living
things, is not immune from an attack by the invisible. The world’s oceans are a roiling soup of possible invaders, called bacteria. Lobster shell disease is one of the
most concerning and evident bacterial infections in lobstee.
Shell disease occurs when external bacteria invade the lobster’s shell via a scratch
or crack. Scientists aren’t sure exactly which bacteria among the millions found in
the ocean are the culprits although recent research suggests Aquimarina ‘homaria’ and
‘Thalassobius’ are likely candidates. These bacteria attack a susceptible lobster’s shell,
resulting in pits or pock marks on the animal’s back or claws. They may even eat
all the way through the shell. Larger female lobsters are the most severely affected
because they retain their shell for a longer period of time while carrying eggs.
The disease does not affect the tissue of the animal. In fact, each time a lobster
molts, it will shed the infected shell as it grows its new, uncontaminated shell. The
problem for lobstermen is that a lobster with shell disease cannot be sold as a restaurant item because it is too ugly for customers to eat. Thus the shell-diseased lobsters
are sold for a much lower pricg.
In southern New England, nearly thirty percent of the lobsters harvested in
recent years bore signs of shell disease. The problem became so severe that the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided a three-year
grant to the University of Rhode Island to explore the causes of the disease. The
New England Lobster Research Initiative brought together experts in the fields of
crustacean endocrinology, genetics, veterinary medicine, behavior, microbiology,
lobster biology, chemistry, environmental science, and epidemiology from fourteen
universities to get to the bottom of lobster shell disease. The study concluded in
2010.
Unfortunately, there was no single cause that the researchers could name for the
prevalence of lobster shell disease in southern New England. According to a summary paper co-authored by University of Rhode Island (URI) scientists Mara Gomez-Chiarri and J. Stanley Cobb and published this month in the Journal of Shellfish
What is lobster shell disease?
Research, lobster shell disease is a manifestation of a ‘‘metabolic disturbance’’ which
causes the lobster to become susceptible to bacteria found in the ocean.
Some had suggested that the increasing water temperatures found in southern
New England caused lobsters to become stressed and thus susceptible to the bacteria. URI Sea Grant specialist Kathy Castro considers this theory unlikely. “[It’s]
actually not environmental factors but more like internal factors. We used the host
susceptibility hypothesis to show where the host/environment/pathogen overlap
to cause disease. There was no indication that temperatur alone caused stress,” she
explained via e-mail.
Factors such as the lobsters’ diet, chemicals such as alkylphenols and methoprene, abraded or damaged shells, or even crowded bottom conditions, might play
a role in causing the lobsters to become infected. No definitive conclusions can be
drawn, according to Gomez-Chiarri and Cobb, other than lobster shell disease is
“caused by one or several opportunistic bacterial pathogens that take advantage of
a host that is susceptible either through physical damage to the shell or other factors
leading to stress and immunosuppression.”
Carl Wilson, lobster biologist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources,
pointed out that the state has been tracking incidents of lobster shell disease since
2001. Generally just one lobster per thousand sampled showed signs of the disease.
But in 2011, that number changed. “There was a significant uptick in 2011,” Wilson
said, “two lobsters for every thousand.” Thus far this year researchers are seeing
about the same numbers as last year. “But there’s more awareness of the disease,”
Wilson pointed out, in part due to the tremendous impact the disease has had in
southern New England. Lobstermen are most likely to see the disease in their catch
during the spring and early summer, prior to lobsters molting. “We are seeing it
along the entire length of the coast, but at very low levels,” Wilson explained. “We
didn’t really have a winter this year. The water temperatures have been two to three
degrees warmer at depth from past years. So I would say expect the unexpected.”
Photo courtesy of the New England Aquarium.
DMR Number of shell disease lobsters per 1,000 observed lobsters (2005-2011).
Lobsters
inhabit a
mysterious
world. What
do YOU want
to know?
Garbo depends on the hard work and stewardship of Maine lobstermen.
Thank you !
3RXQG5G32%R[+DQFRFN0DLQH
SHWHG#JDUEROREVWHUFRP
Call us with a science or
management question at
967-4555, email
annie@mainelobstermen.
org, or post it to
www.facebook.com/mainelobstermen.
21
Tuna continued from page 15
the boat faster and also saves the quality of the meat. He explains that when they
“put a flag out” the fish exhausts itself fighting from the harpoon and polyball it
drags behind it, it can release lactic acid from stress and ultimately create a lower
quality meat. “When everything works right, they don’t even kick their tail,” Chris
said. One thing the Weiners try not to do is to “button” the fish, which is when
the dart pierces through the fish and comes out the other side. “You want the dart
to be buried in the fish, aim for the back and get it in the body cavity,” Chris said.
The Weiner family also has certain superstitions about fishing for tuna. When
on a good streak of luck, they will do everything from wearing the same clothes
on each trip (washed every day, of course) to buying the same groceries from the
same market. They’ve also been known to not change things if they seem to be
having luck, like the saw they use to dress the fish. “We use the same saw every
time. The last time we sharpened it we had the worst season, so it’s pretty dull
now,” Chris said with a laugh.
Chris makes an effort to be involved with as many types of councils in the tuna
fishery as possible. He works with the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Association; he also
sits on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Advisory Committee and the National Marine Fishery Service Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel. He serves on the Department of Marine Resources
Advisory Council and on the New England Fishery Management Council Herring
Advisory Council. Weiner also thinks it’s important for the younger generation
to be involved in fishery councils. Giving up his time to be involved is worth it.
“Every time you catch one and get it through the door, it feels great. There is really
nothing to compare. It’s an adrenaline rush. It’s what we live for.”
Historic photograph from the
collections
A nest of Quoddy fishing boats at Pike’s dock, Eastport.
The boat in the foreground was owned by Nelson Henderson, trawl fisherman.
In the 1930s, it was quite possible for small boat fishermen using tub trawls (long
lines with baited hooks) to catch cod and other bottom dwelling fish working
the small ledges and rough ground where the otter trawls of the time could not
reach. Photographed October 1936. Atlantic Fisherman Collection LB1992.301.72
Tuna landed safely on deck. Ben Weiner photo.
Three islands to start lobster license limited entry programs
By Melissa Waterman
T
wo years ago the state legislature passed a law
allowing a limited entry program for lobster licenses to be established on year-round Maine islands.
LD1231: An Act To Protect the Long-term Viability
of Island Lobster Fishing Communities, introduced by
North Haven representative Hannah Pingree, arose in
response to concerns among islanders that the everlengthening waiting lists for a lobster license in the
state’s lobster zones would preclude young people
from making a living on their island. Once in place the
limited entry program would allocate a number of licenses exclusively for island residents who wanted to
begin lobster fishing.
In early June, Cliff Island, Chebeague Islandand the
Cranberry Isles became the first three island communities to obtain limited entry programs for lobster licenses. “It’s a sustainability issue,” said lobsterman Jeff
Putnam of Chebeague. “Now young people can have a
shot at staying on the island.”
Islanders had to spend many months threading their
way through the regulatory process to get their respective programs approved by the state Department of
Marine Resources (DMR). DMR regulations required
that a minimum of three lobster license holders living
on an island form a committee to begin the process
of establishing a limited entry program. At least ten
percent of the license holders on the island then had
to sign a petition that outlined the program and the
number of licenses proposed for that island. The petition then had to be presented to the appropriate zone
council for review and comment.
Next, the DMR sent a referendum question to all
licensed lobstermen on the island asking if they approved or disapproved of the proposed limited entry
program. Two-thirds of those license holders had to
vote in favor of the program for it to move to the
DMR commissioner for approval.
Obviously, this process took time. Yet as a consequence, when the final rulemaking hearings were held
in June, much of the controversy surrounding the
proposals had settled down. As Sarah Cotnoir, lobster
zone council liaison at DMR, who attended the hearings in Ellsworth and in Portland, noted, “The hearing
in Ellsworth started at 6 o’clock and was done by 6:11
p.m. The one in Portland finished up at 6:10 p.m.”
While most lobstermen readily acknowledged that
lobstering is the economic mainstay of many islands,
some felt that setting aside a specific number of licenses for island residents entering the fishery was not
fair. “On some islands, the school is healthy, they aren’t
seeing a population drop, the status quo is O.K.,” said
Willis Spear, a Yarmouth lobsterman. “We are against
increased effort [in the Casco Bay area]. And it is unfair
to the folks who are on the waiting list, who have been
waiting for so long.”
On Isleford, one of the Cranberry islands, lobsterman Bruce Fernald sees the program as a lifesaver.
“Many of us [island lobstermen] are in our late 50s or
early 60s,” he said. “The way the zone councils are set
up and the waiting lists, by the time someone gets a
license this place could be dead.” Isleford lobstermen
sell their catch to the island’s lobster coop, which needs
a certain volume of lobster to stay afloat. Fernald worries that if the coop should falter, the island itself will
change character irrevocably. “We need to keep the
coop going in order to keep the island from becoming
just a retirement place,” he said.
Islesford (94 year-round residents) and Big Cranberry Island (40 year-round residents) will have 23 lobster licenses available specifically for island residents;
Cliff Island (year-round population 71) will have 12
licenses and Chebeague Island (year-round population
341) will have 31 licenses. Swan’s Island, which also
sent a limited entry proposal out to its lobstermen, did
not garner the two-thirds majority required to pass the
referendum.
“I am in favor of it [island limited entry program] in
island communities where their way of life is fading,”
Spear added. “But we are seeing an increase in effort
in areas we have never seen it before. We want them
to survive but we can’t have them encroaching on us.”
July 2012
In the News
Native American tribe protests St. Croix
River management
Dam removal will open Penobscot River to
sea-run fisheries again
Three chiefs representing the Passamaquoddy tribe in Maine and New
Brunswick declared a state of emergency in the St. Croix River in June.
Tribal governors at Indian Township
and Pleasant Point, Maine joined with
Chief Hugh Akagi of New Brunswick announced that alewives “are
threatened with extinction” on the St.
Croix.
“For the past 17 years Maine has
harmed the Passamaquoddy People
by blocking anadromous fish from
accessing its ancient and traditional
spawning grounds in the upper St.
Croix River. This action severely diAlewives are having a hard time surviving on the St.
minished a traditional food source
Croix River, which concerns members of the
and disturbed our cultural practices.
Passamaquoddy tribe. Russ Williams photo.
We insist the State of Maine immediately remove this blockage and allow
these fish to pass.” Dams installed in the St. Croix River in 1995 have prevented alewives from migrating to their spawning grounds in an effort to protect smallmouth
bass. The alewife population in the river has dropped dramatically since that time.
The three tribal governors said that if the state is not going to open up the river then
they want the International Joint Commission, a U.S.-Canadian body which oversees
management of the river, to “exercise its authority and open this blockage.”
Demolition began in June of the 200-year-old Great Works Dam on the Penobscot River in Bradley. Removal of the dam is a milestone in a 13-year effort
by Penobscot River Restoration Trust, a coalition of 17 conservation groups, the
Penobscot Indian Nation, government entities and corporations. In 2013 the Veazie
Dam, which is larger and closer to the ocean, is slated to also be destroyed. In addition, the Milford dam will get a new fish lift and a fish bypass will be built at the
Howland dam. The project has been called the biggest river restoration project in
the eastern U.S. and is expected to cost about $62 million.
As a result of the two dams’ demolition, 1,000 miles of the Penobscot River will
once again be open to 11 species of anadromous fish, including Atlantic salmon and
river herring. Before European settlers began altering the river, between 75,000 and
100,000 Atlantic salmon traveled through Bangor on annual spawning runs. Today,
only about 1,300 make it that far. Between 14 million and 20 million river herring
made it upriver in the past, while fewer than 1,000 make it today. Furthermore,
removal of the two dams will not reduce the amount of electricity generated by
hydropower on the river. Black Bear Hydro will increase energy production at other
facilities along the river system, places where there better passage for the fish.
GMRI wins limited entry analysis contract
On June 25, the Department of Marine Resources awarded the Gulf of Maine
Research Institute the contract to conduct an analysis of the lobster licensing system
in the state. In 2011, the Legislature asked the Department to evaluate the current
licensing system and to make recommendations for improvements. The final report
will be presented to the Legislature in January, 2013; a draft report is anticipated to
be completed in mid-fall.
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23
Events Calendar
July 10
MLA Directors’ meeting, 5 p.m., Darby’s restaurant,
Belfast. FMI: 967-4555.
July 21
Maine Lobster Ride and Roll, Rockland. FMI: 6234511
July 11
DMR Advisory Council meeting, 1 p.m., Natural Resources Service Center, Hallowell. FMI 624-6596.
July 12
Tall Tales, fishermen’s stories moderated by Denis Damon, 6 p.m. -7:30 p.m., Fishermen’s Friend restaurant,
Stonington. FMI: 367-2708
July 22
Annual Fishermen’s Family Fun Day, Stonington. 6246573.
July 14
Searsport lobster boat races, Searsport town dock.
FMI: 548-6362
July 28
Friendship lobster boat races. FMI: 832-7807.
July 15
Stonington lobster boat races, Stonington town dock.
FMI: 348-2375
July 26
Movie Night: Stonington Fishing Shorts, 6 p.m,-8
p.m., PERC offices, Stonington. FMI 207-367-2708
Upcoming
August 1-5
65th Annual Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland. FMI:
596-0376
August 7
3rd Annual Lobster Buoy Auction, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.,
Fishermen’s Friend Restaurant, Stonington. FMI 207367-2708.
August 7-9
ASFMC summer meeting, Alexandria, VA.
August 11
Winter Harbor lobster boat races and Lobster Festival.
FMI: 963-7139.
July 29
Harpswell lobster boat races. FMI: 725-2567
August 23
“Why there are so many lobsters?” 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.,
PERC Offices, Stonington. FMI 207-367-2708.
July 20
Maine Lobster Promotion Council. Natural Resources
Servce Center, Hallowell. FMI 207-541-9310
In the News, continued
Canada keeps pushing for quality lobsters
Quality, price and volume; those are three areas identified by the Lobster Council of Canada as key to addressing widespread woes that have befallen the lobster
industry on Canada’s east coast. At a meeting of the Lobster Fishing Area 34 lobstermen in late June, Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council, emphasized one point repeatedly: “quality, quality, quality.” He referred to soft shell
lobsters landed during the first weeks of the fall fishery as a problem that reached
new heights in 2011. Irvine said that soft shell lobster “affects our brand position
and how people see our lobster.” The high volume and poor quality at the beginning
of the fall season must be addressed. One idea, to grade lobsters on board the fishing boats, has met with resistance from harvesters. But the benefits might make it
worth it in terms of higher prices paid for the graded product, Irvine argued.
Lobster stock assessment process begins this
summer
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will begin work on its 2014
American lobster benchmark stock assessment this summer. The assessment will
be used to evaluate the health of lobster stocks. The stock assessment process and
meetings, which will continue through June of 2012, are open to the public. In
addition, the commission welcomes submission of data sets that will improve the
accuracy of the assessment. For data sets to be considered at any workshop, the
data must be sent to the Commission at least one month prior to the meeting at
which the data will be reviewed. The first workshop, on the life history of lobsters,
will be held on August 6 at the DMR laboratory in West Boothbay. Those who are
interested in submitting data for the life history workshop should contact Genny
Nesslage ([email protected] or 703.842.0740) by July 6.
Area 1 limited entry rule not a cause for
alarm
The rule, which takes effect in 2013, is being implemented at the request of
lobstermen who are active in management. The concern was that Area 1 currently
is the only “open” federal lobster fishing area. Thus as lobster populations decline
resource declines outside of the Gulf of Maine, Area 1 could see an large number
of federal permits from other lobster fishing areas transferred in or non-trap federal lobster permits being used in the trap fishery. The National Marine Fisheries
Service goal is to limit effort in Area 1 to is present level. For those lobstermen not
actively fishing in Area 1, if they have purchased tags with their license they are considered to have fishing history.
The qualification criteria are meant to protect fishermen who are already fishing in Area 1. The difficulty falls to anyone who is planning to purchase an Area 1
permit. They must make sure that there is some (at least one) tags associated with
that license during the qualifying period (2004 to 2008). If someone buys an Area
1 permit without any history of tags purchased during the qualification period, they
will not be able to buy tags in the future for it.
The Bait Report
2012 Herring Catch and Quota
Area
Quota
(as of 6/13)
% of quota
2012 quota
2011 quota
Area 1A
997
4
24,668
26,251
Area 1B
4,314
158
2,723
4,362
Area 2
21,511
97%
22,146
22,146
Area 3
6,990
18%
38,146
38,146
Total
33,811
39%
87,683
90,700
Data from the NMFS Weekly Atlantic Herring report.
Effective February 24, 2012, NMFS reduced the 2012 sub-ACLs (annual catch limit) in Areas
1A and 1B to account for overages in those areas in 2010. Therefore, the sub-ACL for Area 1A
is 24,668 mt (reduced from 26,546 mt) and the sub-ACL for Area 1B is 2,723 mt (reduced from
4,362 mt) for the 2012 fishing year. IVR data are compared to federal and state dealer data each
week and dealer reports are used to supplement the IVR when necessary. These supplements include
data from non-federally permitted inshore fisheries when provided by state agencies or from other
sources.
www.lobsteringisanart.com
July 2012
Maine Lobstermen’s Association Board of Directors:
Shane Carter, Bar Harbor & Willis Spear, Yarmouth
By Melissa Waterman
S
hane Carter, 39, of Bar Harbor, considers
his home port a bit tricky. “There’s no dock
here, no buying stations. Then there are the
cruise ships in the summer. It’s not the easiest
harbor to fish out of,” he admitted. Lobstermen
in Bar Harbor must either unload their catch to a
buying boat or bring their lobsters in to a wharf
at night where trucks are waiting to haul them to
a buyer. But it is Shane’s home, the place where
Photo by Krista Carter.
he was born. “My uncle, father and grandfather
have all been lobstermen,” he said. He started lobstering as a child with his
grandfather, a tough fisherman who didn’t allow Shane to wear gloves when
hauling. “He said real men don’t wear gloves,” Shane recalled with a laugh.
Shane got his lobster license around age 12 while sterning with his father.
After high school he spent a few years at Worcester Polytechnical Institute and
the University of Maine but lobstering called him back to Bar Harbor. He hasn’t
looked back. Today he has a 42-foot WesMac which he fishes offshore. He’s
served on the Maine Lobstermen’s Association’s (MLA) board of directors for
more than a decade. “Jack Merrill asked me to come on to represent younger
guys,” Shane recalled.
He’s found being on the board a good way to keep up to date on the issues
that face lobstermen throughout the state. “I like knowing what’s going on and
having a say. The talk and rumor mill is not what’s really going on,” Shane explained. The MLA has kept on course well over the years even as the issues connected to lobstering have changed. “The MLA does what you need an industry
organization to do. It used to be that biological issues were the big problems,
like vent sizes. Now it’s things like whale rules and marketing stuff,” Shane said.
As Shane begins to contemplate getting off the MLA board, he’s eager to
draw other lobstermen, younger than he, onto the board as he himself was
brought in. “Most of the guys on the board are 55 years old or older, same as in
the fishing industry in general,” Shane said. “I’d like to see some other younger
guys pick up the reins.”
ORION
Willis Spear Jr., 60, fishes from Cousins Island in Yarmouth. His father, a vicepresident at the Portland Pipeline Corporation in South Portland, set a few lobster
traps for his own use. Willis quickly found that he liked hauling lobster traps. In
fact, he liked everything about lobstering, choosing to hang out with the lobstermen at Willard Beach during all his spare time. By the time he was in junior
high school, he was sterning with a variety of Long Island lobstermen, including
Donny Rich, who taught Willis much.
“Donny had an old school way,” Christine Spear, Willis’ wife, said. “Take what
you need and leave the rest. You make enough to have a living. Willis absorbed
that.”
While he’s a full-time lobsterman now, Willis has turned his hand to nearly
every sort of fishing over the years. “I dragged for thirty years,” he said, as well as
scalloping, pair trawling, and gill netting throughout the Gulf of Maine. Even earlier, after graduating from Southern Maine Technical College, he went exploring
for oil. For several years he worked for a subsidiary of Texas Instruments, doing
oil exploration work in such far-flung places as Labrador and the Amazon basin.
Willis has been on the MLA board for more years than he can recall. “This is
the second or third time I’ve served,” he said. Serving on the board is an investment in time, Willis noted, but it pays off. “I
don’t see any other group out there that’s thinking of the long term health of the resource and
the health of the coastal communities,” he emphasized. “It’s truly grass roots.” Spear received
the MLA’s Golden V-notch Award in 2011 in
recognition of all that he has contributed over
the years to the lobstering industry, in particular
his recent efforts to prevent Portland’s waterfront from being re-zoned to the disadvantage
of the city’s commercial fishing industry.
Photo by Janice Plante,
TASTE THE
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July 2012 - Maine Lobstermen`s Association

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