Redfish Return
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THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER of the LOBSTERMEN’SMAINEAI ASSOCIATIONNE BBetteretter IInformed,nformed, BBetteretter DDecisionsecisions July 2011 Vol 19, No 7 Redfi sh return: Two states take part in redfi sh gear testing project By Melissa Waterman Fishing for redfi sh has long been a tradition in New England. The commercial fi shery in the Gulf he Maine Department of Marine Resources of Maine began in the 1930s, according to the Na- T(DMR) and the Massachusetts Department of tional Marine Fisheries Service, when freezing trawl- Marine Fisheries (DMF) have teamed up in a project er-caught fi sh led to strong markets for the product that may give fi shermen another groundfi sh stock to throughout the country. Landings rose from less than harvest sustainably and lobster- 100 metric tons in the early men an additional source of Redfi sh were subject to the 1930s to over 20,000 in 1939, bait. The multi-pronged proj- formal rebuilding plans that peaking at 56,000 metric tons ect involves fi shing for redfi sh in 1942. When the popula- the entire Gulf of Maine tion in the Gulf of Maine using smaller-than-regulation Redfi sh were a ‘clean’ fi shery, according to many fi shermen. And a good mesh while closely monitor- groundfi sh complex was started to dwindle, the trawlers source of bait for Maine’s lobstermen as well. NOAA photo. ing the bycatch to determine headed offshore, to the Sco- if other, less robust, stocks of subject to. In the case of tian Shelf and ultimately the 1950s, redfi sh stocks throughout the eastern Canada groundfi sh are caught in unac- redfi sh, it worked. Grand Banks off Newfound- and New England were taking a turn for the worst. ceptable numbers. land. Catches went up again, Landings started a steady decline from the peak in 1952 “With sector management [instituted in 2010] fi sh- culminating in a catch of 130,000 metric tons in 1952. until redfi sh was classifi ed as overfi shed in the mid- ermen have a sector allocation for redfi sh which they Unfortunately, redfi sh are long-lived animals but 1980s. can use,” explained Kohl Kanwit, groundfi sh biologist with low productivity. Translated, that means they The New England Fisheries Management Council at DMR. “Before this, at 30 to 50 cents per pound, it could not replace themselves as quickly as they were Northeast Multi-species Fisheries Management Plan wasn’t worth using up days-at-sea.” being yanked from the water and sold. By the mid- governs the harvesting of redfi sh as well as 14 other Continued on page 11 Proud Sponsor of the MLA Newsletter Portland, Maine www.cozyharbor.com • 800-225-2586 Two players mix it up over lobster prices By Melissa Waterman PRST STD Permit No. 65 Permit No. azzetta’s is one of the more successful and U.S. Postage Paid Postage U.S. Mstronger marketers of seafood in the United States,” said Greg Hansen, the company’s manager Brunswick, ME 04011 of lobster acquisitions in New England and the Maritimes. Hansen, a lanky man with more than two decades in the seafood business, spoke in his crowded offi ce at the former William Atwood Lob- ster Company headquarters in Spruce Head. The Mazzetta Company of Illinois purchased the prop- erty in May. Meanwhile, Live Lobster Company is progress- ing on improvements to the former Stinson sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor. Plant manager Peter Colson said that he hopes to start processing lob- The William Atwood Lobster Company was purchased by the Mazzetta ster by the third week of July although many of the Company in May. What changes are in store for Maine lobstermen? lobster processing equipment is still to be installed. Photo by Melissa Waterman. Live Lobster Company, based in Massachusetts, will operate the plant under the name Lobster Web Co. They have just fi nished installing a new 2,200-square-foot bait cooler and are selling bait to local fi shermen. Ultimately there will be a 6,700 square foot circulating seawater tank for storing lobsters on site. The new lobster buying station next to the plant’s pier is being used just for short-term lobster storage. Besides processing lobster, the facility will be used as a distribution site for shipping live lobster to Continued on page 11 INSIDE From the Dock Right whale population Art and Lobsters Maine Lobstermen’s Association Maine Lobstermen’s #1 Ave. 21 Western ME Kennebunk, 04043 page 5 page 10 page 17 2 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 Maine Lobstermen’s Steaming Ahead Association Advocating for a sustainable he National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is coming The MLA has participated in this management process since lobster resource Tto Maine the week of July 11 for meetings in Machias, its inception because we consider shutting the fi shery down and the Ellsworth, Rockland and Portland. They are coming to hear or putting in measures that won’t work for lobstermen to be fi shermen and your thoughts on how to reduce the risk your vertical lines unacceptable. ccommunities that pose to endangered whales. Now, NMFS has put the ball in our court. Their Scoping depend on it OK, I know what you’re thinking: Sure, I’d be happy to Document provides zero guidance on what sort of manage- SinceS 1954 tell them what I think about more whale rules – and where ment measures they think will work or how much risk should to stick them! If only it were that simple. be reduced. The Maine lobster industry has a short window Board of Directors The reality is that the next round of whale rules are of opportunity to let the feds know what we could live with. ••• coming and will be on the books in 2014. While Maine is They have asked for detailed management proposals by the President: David Cousens still reeling from frustrations over the sinking line rule, the end of September and the TRT will meet in January to re- So. Th omaston, 207.594.7518 management community has moved on. Vertical line risk view them. After that NMFS will start its analysis which usu- 1st VP: Jim Dow reduction is considered unfi nished business in the eyes of ally results in a 3-inch thick document and a proposed rule. Bass Harbor, 207.288.9846 regulators, scientists and conservationists. The regulators Keep in mind: Though NMFS take public comment on pro- 2nd VP: Brian McLain have long planned to implement vertical line risk reduction posed rules, fi nal rules seldom veer too far from the options New Harbor, 207.677.3377 measures but they chose to deal with groundlines fi rst. It put forward in a proposed rule. So, if your ideas don’t make Sec/Treasurer: Arnold Gamage, Jr. is widely anticipated that NMFS will be sued if they falter it to NMFS by January, they likely will never be considered So. Bristol, 207.644.8110 in this process, so they are motivated to get this done – on as a management option. schedule. Eliminating all interactions between fi shing gear and Bob Baines, Spruce Head, 596.0177 While the fi shing community has long argued that it has whales is a pipedream that is not likely to be realized – at least Shane Carter, Bar Harbor, 288.0236 done enough and that you’re more likely to catch a UFO in in my lifetime. What we can try to do is minimize the poten- Dwight Carver, Beals, 497.2895 your clothes line than a right whale in your fi shing gear, data tial interaction between whales and fi shing gear by looking Gerry Cushman, Port Clyde, 372.6429 showing the contrary seem to be piling up. at where and when gear is fi shed relative to where and when Jim Henderson, Camp Ellis, 282.0913 We now know for sure that gear set by Maine lobstermen whales frequent and by considering what the whale is doing. Robert Ingalls, Bucks Harbor, 255.3418 has been taken off both right and humpback whales. We A whale feeding or searching for food is likely at a higher Mark Jones, Boothbay, 633.6054 know this because either a trap or a buoy has been removed risk than a whale just swimming up the coast. Still, minimiz- Jason Joyce, Swan’s Island, 526.4109 from a whale and the owner has been interviewed. Scientists ing potential interactions is no guarantee that they will be Jack Merrill, Islesford, 244-4187 now estimate that 80% of right whales have scars from fi sh- eliminated. Tad Miller, Matinicus, 372.6941 ing gear and that between 20 to 80 whales are entangled each So we must also think about how to reduce the risk of Mike Myrick, Cushing, 354.6077 year. a whale becoming seriously injured or killed when it does Brad Parady, Kittery, 337.3141 In preparation for this summer’s meetings, NMFS re- encounter gear. How can we rig our gear to increase the like- Kristan Porter, Cutler, 259.3306 leased a Scoping Document which states that there were lihood that a whale that gets into fi shing gear will break free Lawrence R. Pye, Small Point, 389.9131 25 new entanglements observed in 2010. Five were right before a serious entanglement happens? You are the pro- Willis Spear, Yarmouth, 846.9279 whales, one of which later died. Fifteen new entanglements fessionals, you know the gear, and I’m sure you’ve thought Jay Smith, Nobleboro, 563.5208 occurred as of June, 2011; eight were right whales and again, about how a whale might get in trouble in your gear.