MLA presents Outstanding Service Award to Sarah Cotnoir, DMR Owen

MLA Awards
Presented at the Maine Fishermen's Forum
MLA presents Outstanding Service Award to
Sarah Cotnoir, DMR
ROCKPORT, ME – The Maine
Lobstermen’s Association (MLA)
presented its outstanding service
award to Maine Dept. of Marine
Resources (DMR) resource
management coordinator Sarah
Cotnoir here on Mar. 8.
The MLA uses this award as a way
to recognize people within the state’s
lobster industry who go above and
beyond the call of duty.
“Sarah has the really tough job of
working with lobstermen from all across
the state.
“She often has to take the brunt
of being the bearer of news of change
and, as we all know, lobstermen do not
usually respond well to change,” said
MLA President David Cousens.
Cotnoir, 48, began work in
the department in 2000 in an
administrative post.
She soon was promoted to serve as
DMR’s liaison with the seven lobster
zone councils.
The lobster zone councils have
authority to set the number of traps
in their zone and the entry/exit ratio
for new entrants. Each zone sends
one representative to sit on the state
Lobster Advisory Council.
Cotnoir’s role is to ensure that the
zone council members are up to date on
all state, regional, and federal issues.
Equally important, she is also
responsible for conveying the local
concerns of council members to DMR
officials.
“The sheer geography of the Maine
coast demands that she put in many
long hours.
“Sarah does this with patience and
tremendous competency,” Cousens
continued.
Mike Young/MFF photo
Sarah and Doug Cotnoir at the MLA
awards ceremony in March.
“And more often than not, with a
bright smile.”
“The scope of Sarah’s responsibilities
is daunting.
She organizes zone council meetings,
runs the zone elections in the fall,
coordinates proposed changes to
lobster regulations, and attends all the
meetings,” said DMR Commissioner
Patrick Keliher, who attended the
presentation.
“It’s a stressful job and she handles it
with great professionalism.”
Cotnoir, who lives with her husband
in Chelsea, expressed “utter shock” at
the award.
“This is my job and it’s the best job
I’ve ever had,” she said.
“I think it’s really important that the
issues and concerns of lobstermen be
heard and addressed.”
Melissa Waterman
Owen Reed named MPO Officer of the Year
ROCKPORT, ME – Maine Dept. of
Marine Resources (DMR) Marine Patrol
Officer Owen Reed received the Officer
of the Year award from the Maine
Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) at
the Maine Fishermen’s Forum closing
banquet in here on Mar. 8.
“He’s young and he’s sharp and we
are proud to present this award to
Owen Reed,” said MLA President David
Cousens at the event.
“Owen has the integrity to know
right from wrong, the diplomacy to deal
with any given situation appropriately,
and the compassion to apply the
appropriate level of law enforcement
needed to correct any deficiencies.
“These qualities are very much
appreciated by both the department
and the industry that he serves,” said
Marine Patrol Chief Jon Cornish.
Reed, 24, is a 2010 graduate of the
Maine Maritime Academy.
He worked as assistant
harbormaster in Castine while studying
for his associate’s degree in small vessel
operation at the Academy.
He also worked as a firefighter and
EMT in Bangor and Castine and as
an EMT for the Peninsula Ambulance
Corps in Blue Hill and the Bagaduce
Ambulance Corps.
After joining the Bureau in 2012, Reed
was stationed in the midcoast area, then
transferred to the Deer Isle region.
Hancock County has seen a marked
increase in lobster landings during the
past four years; Stonington has been
the top port in the state by value for six
years running.
With so many lobsters coming over
the rail, Reed and his fellow officers’
work load increased. As did the nature
of marine resource violations.
“In my opinion, one of Owen’s best
qualities is his ability to distinguish
between an intentional violator and
someone who has made a mistake.
“He understands the benefits of not
Mike Young/MFF photo
Britney and Owen Reed.
only addressing a violation but building a
trust and rapport with local harvesters.
“This gained trust has allowed Owen
to build some great marine resource
cases,” Cornish continued.
In 2013, Reed was responsible for
prosecution of a dozen violations of
the state’s lobster conservation laws,
including license violations, gear
violations, and five prosecutions for
illegal lobsters.
In 2014, Officers Reed and Rustin
Ames helped build the case against
Stonington lobsterman Theodore Gray,
who was successfully charged with
molesting lobster equipment, possession
of 269 undersized lobsters, and
possession of 123 V-notched lobsters.
Although young, Reed has won the
confidence of Marine Patrol veterans
and the respect of fishermen in the Deer
Isle region.
“He’s an outstanding individual, both
in his job and in his personal life,” said
See MLA AWARDS, page 19
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10 • COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWS • APRIL 2015
Boothbay, June 20
Rockland, June 21
Bass Harbor, June 28
Moosebec, July 4
Searsport, July 11
Stonington, July 12
Continued from page 7
MLA awards
remaining $10 million slotted for either
a federally funded vessel buyout or an
industry-funded permit buyback now
could be shifted to provide other forms
of assistance – including additional
financial assistance to active fishermen
holding federal permits who received
direct assistance in the first phase of
funding.
“No decisions have been made yet,”
NOAA Regional Administrator John K.
Bullard said.
“But our first priority at the outset
was active fishermen with permits and
those people remain our first priority,”
Last spring, NMFS approved
a plan from the respective state
fishery directors of the five coastal
New England states and New York
to distribute the region’s nearly
$33 million share of the $75 million
appropriated by Congress last January
to assist six separate fishery disasters.
That plan, divided into three phases,
called for the Northeast states to divide
about $22 million for direct assistance
or state-specific grants, and the other
approximately $10 million set aside
for developing a buyout/buyback plan
to address the long-term viability of
the northeast multispecies groundfish
fishery. /cfn/
Continued from page 10
Section V Sgt. Troy Dow.
“Owen is always thinking of new
ways of accomplishing difficult tasks.
He is very diligent. He doesn’t stop
until he gets his guy.”
Melissa Waterman
Melissa Waterman is editor of
Landings, the monthly publication of
the Maine Lobstermen’s Community
Alliance. For additional information,
or to contact her, visit <www.
mainelobstermen.org>.
Information is reprinted here by
permission of Landings.
Friendship, July19
Harpswell, July 26
Winter Harbor, Aug. 8
Long Island, Aug. 15
MS-Portland, Aug. 16
$
Pemaquid*, Aug. 16
*Non-points event
all 2015 scheduled races and dates for
the crowd – noting that Friendship,
Harpswell, and Searsport are all
expected back this year.
Harpswell, he did allow, is
unconfirmed and might still opt out of
this year’s schedule.
But, with or without Harpswell,
a busy summer circuit of racing is
planned – 11 or possibly 12 days of
racing, running from Jun. 20 to Aug. 16.
One conflict was noted.
Races in Pemaquid and Portland
fall on the same day this year and
can’t be moved. Both races are tied in
with other local events, Johansen said,
and while the conflict is regrettable
the races will run as scheduled and
competitors will simply have to make a
choice.
See a complete schedule of MLBRA
sanctioned events above.
Lastly, Johansen closed this year’s
meeting with the announcement of
three new inductees into the Maine
Lobster Boat Racing Hall of Fame.
They are for 2015, Osmond Beal, Billy
Hallinan, and Glenn Holland.
The trio joins previous inductees Gus
Alley, Benny Beal, Isaac Beal, Merle
Beal, Richard Duffy, Jerry Farrin, Will
Frost, Corliss Holland, Ernest Libby Jr.,
and Arvin and Arvid Young (all 2012).
Along with, Andrew Gove, Fred
Lenfesty, Brian Robbins, Lewis Stewart,
and David Taylor (2013); and Calvin
Beal Jr., Jim Preston, and Sidney Eaton
(2014).
For additional information on this
year’s racing schedule, rules, or
other details visit
<www.mainescoast.com>. /cfn/
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Typographical errors are unintentional and subject to correction.
COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWS • APRIL 2015 • 19
MLBRA pre-season meeting report -
Busy summer of lobster boat racing ahead;
24 classes and up to 12 days of competition
ROCKPORT, ME – You’re going to
want to pack a lunch if you’re heading
out to take in one of the Maine Lobster
Boat Racing Association (MLBRA) races
this summer.
Participants at MLBRA’s pre-season
spring meeting, held during the Maine
Fishermen’s Forum here on Mar. 7,
voted to add additional brackets within
two classes, resulting in a sanctioned
race card of up to 24 individual races for
this year’s circuit, not counting free-foralls and local, non-points races.
Specifically, MLBRA has moved to
break Diesel Class M – previously for
boats 40’ and over up to 750 hp – into
two subclasses: Class M(A), 40’ and
over, 0 to 500 hp; and Class M(B), 40’
and over, 501 to 750 hp.
This was a move prompted by
the large number of boats currently
participating in the class and
is designed to encourage better
competition by breaking the class into
the two horsepower groupings.
Additionally, MLBRA has split its
traditional Wooden Boat class into two
classes: A, for boats any hp up to 35’11’;
and B, also for any hp, 36’ and over.
In one other class-related piece of
Rick Martin photo
MLBRA President Jon Johansen addresses the crowd during this year’s pre-season
spring meeting held in conjunction with the Maine Fishermen’s Forum.
business, MLBRA for this year has
eliminated the upper hp limit in Gas
Class D, which has previously been for
V-8s, 376-540 cid, 24’ and over. The hp
range for this class now reads 376 cid
and over. This race, by the way, is for
non-working racers.
Long Island’s Steve Johnson – who
has entertained race crowds with
everything from PT boat engines to
convertibles (seriously) – asked what
class he would be running in if he
“showed up with a gas turbine.”
“Well,” said Johansen, “you wouldn’t
qualify for any of the regular classes –
but you could certainly make exhibition
runs.”
“Story of my life,” said Johnson with
his trademark grin. “An exhibitionist
again.”
Recognizing the expanded race card
may lead to some long days out on the
water, MLBRA President Jon Johansen
reminded attendees at this year’s
meeting of the need to try and start
each event at each location on time,
weather permitting.
Johansen said he and his crew
will start inputting the day’s race
applications into the computer at 9:15
am on race day with plans to be out on
the course, ready to start, by 10 am.
Late arriving racers will still be
accepted, he said, but will need to go to
the committee boat to register.
Johansen also ran down the list of
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18 • COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWS • APRIL 2015
40 TH ANNUAL MAINE FISHERMEN'S
It had all the makings of a great movie: you had the glory of the Maine
Fishermen’s Forum celebrating its 40th anniversary mixed with the drama
of worrying about what the weather might be. The Samoset Resort crew
sent out an e-mail on Monday morning of forum week with a bulldozer
excavating a small glacier out of the alleyway in preparation for moving in
the trade show: “Whatever it takes!” Inside the Samoset, everyone from
cleaning crews to kitchen staff had their game faces on. Show time.
The ME DMR provided the drum roll for
the opening day: the total value of 2014’s
commercial marine resources harvest broke
all previous records with an all-time high of
$585,348,370. In the meantime, the forum itself
reflected the industry’s mood: the trade show
was full (and then some); rooms had been sold
out ahead of time; fishermen and their families
had come to celebrate, pool ideas, educate
themselves and scope out the latest in gear and
technology. Oh – and eat: Thursday’s “Chefs
Celebrate Local Maine Seafood” (a “star chefstudded seafood immersion experience”) segued
into the opening night Seafood Reception.
No one went hungry.
A bit of behind-the-scenes drama: the forum
Board of Directors had set a goal of awarding
$40,000 in scholarships at Saturday night’s
banquet – a big number to aim for. Key to the
effort (as always) was the Friday night auction
with former state senator Dennis Damon
manning the gavel and microphone. The
numbers were mounting …
30 • COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWS • APRIL 2015
FORUM: ONE FOR THE BOOKS
All photos courtesy of
Mike Young/Mark Haskell/
Maine Fishermen's Forum
The days were whirlwinds of activity, from
safety demonstrations to crowded trade show
floors (it’s always a good sign when engine
companies sell iron during the show) to packed
seminars. Look – there’s Governor LePage. And
over there: Dave Carraro from Wicked Tuna.
And those $100 coffee cups kept adding to the
scholarship kitty …
Saturday night: smiles, accolades, more
food … followed by DJ Chris Grade spinning
the crowd’s requests and a general highfive all around. The $40,000 goal had been
reached, resulting in scholarships being
awarded to 22 qualified applicants. The
industry had celebrated itself in grand
style – and given something back, as well.
If you wanted to end with that same movie
analogy, you could say that the 40th Maine
Fishermen’s Forum was truly a feel-good hit.
COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWS • APRIL 2015 • 31