Vol. 20, No. 4 – April 2015 News & Comments for and by the Fishermen of Maine FREE BUILDING A WOODEN LOBSTER BOAT, Part II See page 13 INSIDE 4 Elver Quota 6 Student Skippers at Forum 7 Awesome Year 10 “New-shells” Star Fishermen’s Voice photo Voice Fishermen’s 11 Letter to NS Premier Dipper Harbor, New Brunswick, Canada March, 2015. Rafts are used to store lobster traps in a harbor with a lot of big boats. Dipper Harbor in southwest New Brunswick has a few lobster processing plants. A cold snowy winter is expected to effect the Fishermen’s Forum in Photos early lobster season. The Lobstermen’s Town Meeting was held in St. John’s, New Brunswick this year. One of the lead topics 12 discussed was climate change and the lobster fishery. See page 15. 14 Nicholas Walsh, PA 15 Lobstermen’s Town Meeting Cod Extinction Unlikely 18 Wear and Tear By Laurie Schreiber Capt. Mark ROCKPORT—Gulf of Maine cod Cod has one of the highest egg should be taken off the table in 19 is in trouble. But it’s not on the counts of any bony fish, so if there management talks about Gulf of Lee S. Wilbur verge of extinction. is any fish that is resilient to ex- Maine cod. Instead, he said, the 20 “We want cod to be around for- focus should be on how to avoid 22 Maine Boatbuilders Show ever. That’s fine, but I would con- If there is any fish that is low recruitment in order to meet tend that is not a problem,” said the ultimate objective of rebuild- resilient to extinction, it’s cod. 23 Back Ten Steve Cadrin, a professor of fish- ing cod for fishery production. eries oceanography at the UMass “Even at these high fishing More News & Photos at School for Marine Science and tinction, it’s cod.” mortalities, cod is still sustain- Technology. “When we look at ma- Speaking at the Maine Fish- able,” he said. “It’s far from opti- fishermensvoice.com rine bony fish, fishing has never ermen’s Forum in early March, Contact: 207-963-7195 forced any species to go extinct. Cadrin said the idea of extinction See COD EXTINCTION on page 8 info@fishermensvoice.com Remember the Maine The Sinking of the Battleship Maine PAID By Tom Seymour Permit #65 #65 Permit PRST STD U.S. Postage Who hasn’t heard the rallying Brunswick, ME 04011 cry, “Remember the Maine?” And as a constant reminder of the ill-fated, American battleship, the original scroll and shield stands mounted on a life-size replica of her bow in Bangor’s Davenport Park. Those aboard affirmed that they definitely heard two explosions. The Spanish-American War, or as it was known at the time, “Amer- ica’s War With Spain,” seems out of sight and out of mind for most peo- NARA photo ple. And yet, it was only in the last The Maine was sunk at a mooring in Havana Harbor on February, 8, 1898. The explosion(s) in the forward munitions and coal bunkers piled the wreckage visible decade or so that a tax on our tel- in this photograph. Naval personnel can be seen rowing past in the foreground, left. Fishermen’s Voice P.O. Box 253 Gouldsboro, ME 04607 One of the Maine’s two smokestacks lies crumpled on the deck center. Square rigged See REMEMBER on page 16 vessel’s masts are visible in the background. Page 2 Fishermen’s Voice April 2015 FROM THE CROWE’S NEST Dr. Brian Rothschild On the 40th Anniversary Appointed Hjort Scholar The high point of this year’s beyond standing room. Young stu- Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rock- dents presented the results of their Distinguished marine scientist marine ecosystem dynamics” ac- port was the Skippers Program work from a podium in a room Brian Rothschild, president and cording to the letter informing the presentation on Friday. More than mostly filled with strangers. CEO of the Center for Sustainable professor of the award. It includes anything in memory from past After the presentations, some Fisheries recently received news a grant in the amount of 50.000 years at the forum, this program’s parents spoke of their kids’ enthu- from Norway of his appointment Norwegian krone, or about $7000, presentation spoke to the siasm for the projects they as a Hjort Scholar. New Bedford and comes following an October deep roots and social impor- were involved in. Their kids resident Dr. Rothschild is known address Dr. Rothschild gave at a tance of fishing and coastal were coming home and en- internationally for his work in fish- symposium in Bergen in conjunc- life in Maine. gaging parents in discussions eries science tion with the 100th anniversary The Skippers Program en- of their project. One parent The Hjort Centre for Marine of the publication of Hjort’s impor- gages middle and high school reported her D-average son Ecosystem Dynamics in, Ber- tant book Fluctuations in the Great students in hands-on study had become fully engaged in gen which extended the honor is Fisheries of Northern Europe. and research in coastal wa- the project, began speak- named for Norwegian fisheries Dr. Rothschild is also Profes- ters. These are the waters ing highly of school and was scientist Johan Hjort (1869-1948), sor Emeritus and founding Dean their families work on every now a B student. the preeminent marine scientist of the UMass Dartmouth School day. The waters many of them see Some of these kids may grow and oceanographer of his era and for Marine Science and Technol- everyday. The waters to which up to be fishermen, or marine bi- the first to apply statistical meth- ogy. He now heads the non-profit some of their families have for gen- ologists or something else. More ods to the study of fish populations. Center for Sustainable Fisheries, erations been economically, socially importantly, they have developed Recipients of Hjort Scholar- an organization dedicated to the and emotionally connected. This an interest in education and the im- ships are scientists whose research conservation of our fisheries and intertwining of life, work and envi- mediate world around them. The is “deemed to promote scientific the economic development of our ronment is who fishing families are. world of their parents and what innovation and understanding of fishing communities. ! The fishing culture in Maine is may be the world of their children. uniquely alive and uniquely im- They express feelings of being con- portant in modern America. Real nected at an early age in a way they fishing villages where independ- can measure. MANAGING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING ent fishermen are the primary base “His view of education—he’s Mike Crowe WRITERS of the local economy and culture. a totally different kid,” said one Steve Cartwright Where history, continuity and op- mother speaking about her son’s Kittridge Johnson STAFF WRITERS portunity are maintained. participation in the program. “For Bernice Johnson Mike Crowe Skipper’s Program students our community, it’s amazing what published monthly by Tom Seymour ONE WING PUBLISHING, INC. Paul Molyneaux worked to find a solution to a real it’s done.” The presentation was a Lee S. Wilbur P.O. Box 253 ecological problem on the coast. rare moment of family, community, Gouldsboro, ME 04607 culture, and humanity. It could not SALES MANAGER They created proposals that might 207-963-7195 • Fax 207-963-7159 LAYOUT/ Mike Crowe PRODUCTION mitigate the impact of burgeon- have been a more fitting and mov- Email: [email protected] Joline Edwards ing green crab populations and ing event for the 40th anniversary http://www.fishermensvoice.com presented them to a room packed of the Fishermen’s Forum. ! The MSHS Dealers Work For You Kennedy Marine Engineering Inc. Yankee Marine Diesel Inc. Roger/Angela Kennedy Jon Martin 917 US Route 1, Steuben, ME 04680 3 Whalers Way, Fairhaven, MA 02719 207-546-7139 508-509-4941 James Rich Boatyard Hinckley Yachts Jamie Thurlow Will Ratcliff/Randy Chabot/Tim Shields 1 Jaspers Way, Bernard, ME 04612 One Little Harbor Landing, Portsmouth, RI 02871 207-244-3208 401-683-7114 Journey’s End Marina Rhode Island Engine Co. 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