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. If you Craig Stewart, Long Island, 846.3158 one later died. These are only the entanglements that were have ideas, please pass them along. Yours could be the solu- Elliott Th omas, Yarmouth, 846.6201 observed. Many speculate that there are more that are not tion to help whales and fi shermen coexist. Donald Young, Cushing, 354.6404 recorded. Jack Young, Vinalhaven, 863.4905 Maine lobstermen are very skeptical of these statistics As always, stay safe on the water. and they should be. As long as whales are becoming serious- Staff ly injured or killed in fi shing gear, regulators will be coming ••• back for more restrictions. MLA will dig into these data to Executive Director Patrice McCarron see how many of the whales were entangled in lobster gear, 207.967.4555 whether it was lighter inshore gear or heavier offshore gear [email protected] and, to the extent possible, where the gear was set. MLA Membership Application Industry Communications The reality is that often times this is not known. Coordinator Those who disentangle the whales may only re- Melissa Waterman 207.691.2330 trieve a piece of rope, or the rope may sink to the VOTING MEMBERS BUSINESS MEMBERS bottom when the whale is cut free. In the absence ! Highliner*: $175 ! Regular: $100 ! Business Highliner: $250 (bold in web & newsletter directories) [email protected] ! ! Family**: $150 Over 65/Under 18: $50 ! Business: $125 of better data, all fi shermen are considered guilty. *receive an MLA hat Whale Projects Coordinator So you’re either thinking, “darn it, we’re **provide names of family members to be included in membership Business Name: ______ Heather Tetreault 207.967.4555 screwed” or “someone needs to tell them no -- FRIEND OF THE MLA Contact: ______ ! Friend: $50 [email protected] enough is enough.” For those of you who think Address: ______ Name: ______ the MLA has sold out the industry because we are Town: ______ Education Coordinator working to ensure that the new rules put in place Address: ______ Annie Tselikis State: ______ Zip: ______ in 2014 allow you to continue to make your living, Town: ______ [email protected] Phone: ______ 800 #: ______ I ask you to consider the consequence of saying State: _____ Zip: ______ Education Assistant “No, we’ve done enough already” to the federal Email: ______ Phone: ______ Cell: ______ April Gilmore Website: ______ [email protected] government. Email: ______ DISCOUNTS — Yes! Our Business will offer discounts for For starters, saying no would be a lot easier goods or services to MLA members. (please describe): than dealing with this process, but the benefi ts Vessel Name: ______ Communications Assistant ______ Sarah Paquette stop there. The reality is that whales are endan- License #: ______ Zone/District: ______ [email protected] gered and they are protected under both the Ma- rine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Th e MLA newsletter is published monthly. It is ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION SPECIAL OFFERS Species Act. The ESA is very dicey for the fi shing provided for free to all Maine lobstermen thanks ! Contribution $______ ! $18.75…...Commercial Fisheries News to the support of newsletter sponsors. Th is month’s industry. The law very clearly states that the fed- Please consider an additional contribution (include a separate check payable to CFN) to support MLA’s important work sponsor is Cozy Harbor Seafood. eral government cannot issue permits to allow any ! $14.95…...National Fisherman (include a separate check payable to National Fisherman) activity that will jeopardize the species’ survival. In our case, if we refused to put management measures in place and whales continue to be en- MLA LEGAL DEFENSE Maine Lobstermen’s Association MLA’s Legal Defense Fund is dedicated to paying legal expenses associated with Hogan & Hartson’s pro bono 21 Western Ave., #1 tangled, the federal government has two options. representation of MLA on whales and other issues Kennebunk, ME 04043 They could stop issuing permits for the fi shery ! Legal Fund Donation $______ (include a separate check payable to MLA Legal Defense Fund) [email protected] and shut it down (a political nightmare) or NMFS could implement whatever measures they see fi t Pay by: Check ______ Visa ______ MasterCard ______ Total Amount: $______ www.mainelobstermen.org to ensure that the fi shery does not put the survival Card #: ______ ______ ______ ______ Expiration Date:______ of the endangered species at risk. Card Validation Number (last 3 digits on signature strip on back of card): ______ Our newsletter is now online! So, you tell me: Do you want to play or not? Signature: ______ July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 3 Access conservation started here Guest Column
By Tim Glidden, Maine Coast Heritage fer”! How does that work? By selling the right to Tim Glidden became Trust executive director develop the working waterfront property for incom- MCHT executive director patible uses, the fi sherman is able to realize that por- in April. He had previ- ously served for ten years tion of the property’s value without selling it out- lead. Dirigo. That’s our State Motto and right up as the director of the I there on the State Seal you’ll see a young man lean- right. Land for Maine’s Future ing on an anchor. He looks like a fi sherman to me. Program and as the deputy But today, increasingly, that fi sherman’s access to the Administered as part of the Land for Maine’s director of the Natural ocean is at risk. Conversion of harbor properties to Future (LMF) Program in concert with the Maine Resources Council of restaurants, hotels, residences, you name it; this kind of Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Maine. Photo courtesy of Maine Coast Heritage development can push a fi sherman right off the wharf. Working Waterfront Access Protection Program has now completed 16 projects up and down the coast Trust. Today there is a national movement to protect with one more pending project in the hopper. With working waterfronts and the critical access to the the able assistance of Coastal Enterprises Inc., the program has now helped to protect many types of ocean fi shermen need. And it started right here in Maine. Seeing this threat, back in 2003 a coalition now property, from lobster cooperative businesses and numbering more than 140 industry associations, non- family-owned operations to wharves owned by profi ts (including Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the towns and community groups that are used by fi sh- MLA), state agencies and individuals came together to ermen. address the challenge. Since then, we’ve made remark- Taken together these properties have secured able progress. Examples include: .75 mm Heavy Duty PVC/Cotton nearly a mile of coastline with a fair market value Construction of over $15 million, supporting more than 400 • The establishment of a current use property Neoprene inner “Storm Cuff” for boats, 830 fi shing industry jobs and more than 900 tax program to give waterfront property of added comfort and protection families. More than 13 million pounds of seafood fi shermen the same fair tax treatment received Double welded seams by farmers and timberland owners. are landed annually at these facilities which trans- lates into $35 million in income directly dependent Double snap system for extra wind • The pioneering use of a conservation ease- and rain protection ment by a local land conservation group to on working waterfronts. That fi gure in turn equals more than $75 million in additional economic con- Heavy duty suspenders with quick BristolB Bay® ensure access for fi shermen at a dock in York release that was slated for recreational development. tribution to local economies. • A State-funded pilot program to protect work- Pants have a second 35 mills layer of When the owners of these facilities sold the PVC coated nylon welded and riveted ing waterfront properties forever from conver- for extra wear resistance sion to incompatible uses. rights to convert them to incompatible uses, they were paid hard cash. Most of this has been rein- Designed for Professionals vested in the operations. Wharfs have been rebuilt; This State program also puts dollars in the fi sher- Available at Professional Marine Suppliers everywhere man’s pocket to reinvest in the business - a great “two- leased property acquired outright; signifi cant debt retired; and business operations diversifi ed. Just last WWW.alliancemercantile.com for more product info Continued on page 7
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By Annie Tselikis Plan and submit it to the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education at the University he Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) and University of Maine Sea Grant of Delaware. When the plan is approved, par- Trecently completed the fi rst round of in-person workshops for the Trade Ad- ticipants will then be in line to receive a fi rst justment Assistance program, offering training workshops on six different topics in payment of $1,200. Thus far 475 people have Machias, Trenton, Union and in the Portland area. “This has been a huge undertak- completed their Initial Business Plan. Partici- ing, a completely new experience for the MLA and Sea Grant in preparing curricu- pants who are now ready to tackle their Full lum for and administering these various workshops. I’m really proud of the work Business Plan will be contacted by the Farm that we’ve done and glad that participants have found the material interesting,” said Service Agency (FSA), which will connect Annie Tselikis, MLA’s Education Coordinator. them to an individual business counselor.
“The workshops have gone very well and have proved a productive partner- The business counselor will meet one-on-one with participants to provide sup- ship between the agencies, Sea Grant, MLA and the lobster industry. I think that port and suggestions in crafting the Full Business Plan, but he or she will not write these topics come at a great time as the industry is facing challenges and changes,” the plan. Participants have the option of writing their plan in three different ways: stated Dana Morse, marine extension agent with Sea Grant. The workshops fo- via www.taaforfarmers.org with AgPlan, a web-based tool designed for business cused on the intricacies of lobster marketing, product handling, fi shing effi ciency planning; by using an Ag Plan CD-Rom (a good suggestion for people comfort- among other topics. The Product Quality and Handling Workshop was designed able using a computer but do not have access to high-speed Internet); or with a by Morse and offered in person by Tim Harkins of Rocky Coast Lobster , based in hard-copy paper version of Ag Plan. After the Full Business Plan is submitted and Arrowsic. Many participants who attended this workshop suggested that any person approved, participants will receive their fi nal $2,300 payment, thus completing their who handles a lobster in Maine, whether working on a boat or in a shoreside lobster involvement in the TAA Program. The deadline for completion is September, 2013. operation, could benefi t from this training. For any questions regarding the TAA program, call MLA at 967-4555 or Sea Grant at 563-3146, x201. People who have participated in the many workshops have been satisfi ed in gen- eral with their experience. “I think the workshops have been really good. The pre- The MLA and Sea sentation of the materials and knowledge of instructors when we had questions was grant program will resume just great,” commented Robert Alley of Beals Island. Alley attended over 12 hours TAA workshops again in the fall. The June training of training in Machias. workshops are available to lobstermen online at www. MLA and Sea Grant will resume offering workshops again in October after a taaforfarmers.org. hiatus for summer and fall fi shing. Meanwhile, TAA training programs continue to Photo by Annie Tsilekis. be available to participants online at www.taaforfarmers.org.
To date, of Maine’s total 2,600 participants enrolled in the TAA program, 600 have completed thir Intensive Training component. An additional 380 people are in the process of working toward their required twelve hours of training. After com- pleting the Intensive Training phase, participants will work on their Initial Business S S
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t t t t t E P M O C E G A R E V O COVERAGE C D A O R BROAD B D N AND A S E T A A A RATES R E V I T I T E P M O COMPETITIVE C COMPETITIVE RATES AND BROAD COVERAGE COVERAGE BROAD AND RATES COMPETITIVE BROAD COVERAGE BROAD COVERAGE AND RATES COMPETITIVE 6 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 From the Dock Is lobstering a business or a job? you divide your expenses for the day by the number of traps you haul. For example, $500 in expenses to haul 250 traps would cost you $2.00 a trap to haul. These fi gures Is lobstering a business or a job? For the sake of this letter, I’ll contend that it are based on your daily expenses only. is both, but a lot of people think of it as just a job. One of the basic principles of If you owe money on your business, you have to fi gure this in also. And this business is to know the costs associated with producing your product. Looking at doesn’t take into account repairs, general maintenance, rope and buoys and trap lobstering from a business point of view, one of the things you need to know is costs. All of these expenses also should be fi gured in to know the real amount of what it costs you to catch a pound of lobster or to haul a trap. I’ve talked to a lot money it costs you to catch a pound of lobster or to haul a trap. of lobstermen lately and have asked them what it costs them to produce a pound The reason that this information is important to you as a businessman is that it of lobster. The range of answers I’ve gotten varies greatly, but most of them fell will enable you to make informed decisions on when it makes sense to go to work or into three categories. The most frequent answer I got was, “I don’t know how to do when it doesn’t. This will vary greatly between fi shermen depending where you fi sh, that.” The next was, “I don’t care.” Only about 10% knew the answer to the ques- your fi nancial situation and the price of lobster. But regardless of your situation, tion. I believe it is very important to look at lobstering as a business, so you are able every lobsterman should possess this information about their business. to make informed decisions on how best to run your business. The question then is: Once we have this information, what do we do with it? For the majority of those who said you don’t know how to calculate that cost, it’s Does the industry take this information and try to infl uence management to im- actually quite simple. To fi nd what it costs you to catch a pound of lobster you need prove the fi nancial situation of the lobstermen? Do we look for ways to maximize to take the cost of bait you use in a day, the cost of the fuel you use in a day and our profi ts, such as shifting some of the catch from the summer months to the fall if you take a sternman, how much you pay him for the day. Add these three costs and spring when lobsters are much better quality to ship and the yield is much bet- up and divide by the number of pounds you caught that day. For example, $300 ter? Or do we do nothing and just see what happens? I think this is one of the big for bait, $100 for fuel, and $100 for sternman. So your daily expense is $500. Then questions facing the future of the lobster industry today. to fi nd the cost per pound, divide the number of pounds you caught into 500. For What do you think? example, 100 pounds per day would cost you $5.00 a pound or 300 pounds per day would cost you $1.66 a day and so on. If you want to know the cost to haul a trap, David Cousens, MLA President and South Thomaston lobsterman
New Recruit: Young Kennebunk lobsterman stays busy
By Sarah Paquette about 300 traps and then sets the rest later in the summer. Chris said this year started out slow, but he’s happy to see things fi nally starting to pick up. “If you get a pound hris Welch, 23, has been lobstering in Kennebunk since he was six years old a trap right now, that’s good,” he noted. As for the year, he thinks bait is too expen- Cand doesn’t plan to quit anytime soon. “There is nothing better than heading sive although the supply is good. Chris uses herring and pogies for bait, but has tried out on the water on a fall morning,” he explains. “The ocean air smells so fresh. alternative, hairless cowhide in the past. “I have found traps that I had lost and they There’s nothing fresher. I could never give that up.” Chris says he is the only one in were full of lobsters. There was still some of the [cowhide] bait in there. It’s good, his family who has stuck with lobstering, using his late grandfather’s boat. but it’s expensive,” he said. “I started fi shing with my grandfather when I was six, then got my own boat Chris sells his lobsters to when I was 14,” Chris said. He fi shed on his own for a few years, then bought The Lobster Company in Arun- out his grandfather when he was diagnosed del. Years ago, when he was just with terminal cancer. “A lot of money is made Five years later, Chris a boy, he experienced a little uses his grandfather’s outside,” Chris said. boat, The Kristy II, a confusion selling his lobsters. 28-foot Booth Chick built in 1955 in Ken- “I used to sell to Port Lobster nebunkport. Chris said this was the last boat that Chick built for himself and so far [in Kennebunkport] back when it hasn’t needed much work. “I put a new motor in last May, but haven’t had to do I was proud to bring in a fi ve- any other big work on it,” he said. pound bucket full of lobster. Growing up with his grandparents gave Chris the opportunity to meet people When I was six or seven, they of all ages. “I’d have breakfast with my grandfather and talk with his friends,” Chris paid me with a single bill and I said. Then he met their grandkids, and got to know their parents, “so I met people was convinced they ripped me my grandfather’s age, my age, and people in between.” Chris recalled some words of off,” Chris recalled. “I knew wisdom from his grandfather about early mornings and the smell of bait: “’You’ll there should be more than one get over it when you’re older,’ he said to me with a smile.” Chris believes that spend- bill. My grandfather told me to ing time with his grandfather has given him insight into life that most young people look at it again, but I was sure spend years acquiring. there should be more. I fi nally In the fall when fi shing picks up, Chris hires a sternman to help him with his 400 did look at it and realized it was traps, but he spends most of the time out on the water alone. He starts out setting $100 bill.” Although Chris does not have a federal permit to fi sh outside state waters, he is con- cerned about the effect any new whale rules will have on people who do fi sh outside. “A lot of Chris Welch also volunteers with several local fi re departments. money is made outside and if the smaller guys can’t make enough, they’ll probably quit.” Chris’ main income in the summer and fall months comes from the lobsters he sells, but when things slow down in the winter, he works at the MHG Ice Center in Saco as a zamboni driver. “I’m the busiest in the fall when fi shing is good and work at the ice arena picks up,” said Chris. “Plus I hunt in the fall. I have to make sure to get that in, too.” And when Chris isn’t fi shing or working or hunting, he gives his time to local fi re departments. For the last three years, Chris has spent hours on fi re calls and taking part in various trainings. “I actually have a lot of certifi cates,” he said modestly. “I volunteer at the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel fi re departments. It’s not something I have to do when I’m busy, but I really like to. I like helping people and I get to meet a lot of people, too.”
The Kristy II is a 28-foot Booth Chick boat built in Kennebunkport in 1955. Photos by Chris Welch. July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 7 Trapzilla By Craig Idlebrook Reprinted with permission, Working Waterfront, June, 2011 But it is more than altruism that powers Boehm’s quest to crush metal. He has a natural affi nity to the destruction, recycling and reshaping of metal and machines. very industry has its waste product, some waste more visible than others. While By the time Boehm was three, by his own description, he was known to take Ethe lobster industry is considered more green than most, it does have one obvi- anything apart he could fi nd. By the time he was six, he could take things apart and ous byproduct that shows up on Maine shores and yards: the broken lobster trap. put them back together, except that he couldn’t get them to work again. By the time Big, bulky and often useless, the broken traps sometimes break free from tethers he was eight, he could fi x what he had taken apart to work again. and wash up on beaches. Others fi nd permanent retirement on grassy lawns near the It was during this period that Boehm was allowed by his uncle to take apart a sea. Transfer stations now often charge for the traps, and they usually are too bulky broken outboard motor. When he had fi nished and the pieces were scattered on the to haul away for scrap. ground, his uncle said he would take them to a scrap metal collector and give Boehm “You’re hauling away a bunch of air,” said Chebeague Island’s resident scrapman the money. The information hit Boehm with the weight of a revelation. Kim Boehm. “They’ll pay money for this?” he remembers thinking as a six-year-old. “I get to But Boehm has devised a way to crunch the traps down to size and haul them take something apart, not fi x it and they’ll take the parts and pay me for this? This off them off the island for a tiny profi t. He’s created a mini-compactor, dubbed is heaven.” “Trapzilla”, to crush the traps from 48 inches down to just 8 inches. He hopes to Since then, Boehm may put down electrician on his tax forms, but tinkering is his entice the island’s lobstermen to bring their retired traps to Trapzilla and rid the calling. By mid-March, Trapzilla only had a few test runs, but lobstermen are already island of the eyesore of excessive, rusty traps. asking for appointments. As the winter snow recedes, Boehm believes his compact A born tinkerer, Boehm says it took three dreams to devise the device. compactor will be busy. “I do my best thinking at three o’clock in the morning,” he said. It took some 40 hours this winter to build Trapzilla. Boehm, owner of Island Electric, typically is busy during the fall with electrical work on Chebeague, but Janu- ary was a down time that allowed him to create Trapzilla in his shop. Boehm says he took the existing design for aluminum-compactor crushing and appropriated it for a machine to crush traps. He describes the compactor as a cage made up of short scrap I-beams with a plunger-like device in the middle. The hy- draulics are powered by a gasoline engine and the whole device can be put on a trailer. “It’s kind of like a kitchen compactor on steroids,” Boehm said. He makes sure the traps are free of bricks and debris. Once crushed, the traps are tucked into scrap cars to ship to the mainland. No stranger to crushed scrap metal, Boehm has been unoffi cially in charge of much of the scrap car removal on the island. “Anytime a car is dying or dead, it fi nds its way to me,” he said. A longtime resident on the island, Boehm quickly noticed there were few places free of scrap cars. One property owner near his land had 40 dead cars, he said. At the time, the island was still part of the town of Cumberland, but Boehm says there was little interest from the mainland government to help haul away the cars. A friend with a gravel pit asked Boehm for help to remove cars dumped at the pit. Boehm contacted a man with a compactor who said he would have to fi nd at Kim Boehm and his handy invention. Photo by Caitlin Gerber. least 100 cars for the compactor to come out; he found more than 200. For his work, Boehm received an environmental award from the Baldacci gubernatorial adminis- tration.
Conservation continued from page 3 month, this newsletter told the story of the Bremen Lobster Coop which took its $300,000 payment for development rights and repaired its wharf and build a new storage and processing facility.
So what’s next?
With the passage of a new bond last fall, Land for Maine’s Future and DMR are now looking for new applications this summer with another round expected later in the year. Anyone interested in knowing more should visit the programs Web site at www.wwapp.org.
The new funds are likely to be committed by the end of the year. Thus a new Working Waterfront and LMF bond next year will be essential to continue these critical investments in Maine’s working waterfront infrastructure and to protect the jobs this investment supports.
Those of us working in land conservation understand that working lands are part of the fabric of our communities. They provide jobs and support families. Farmers, loggers and fi shermen all need access to their particular resource. There are strong and growing relationships now between land trusts and farmers and foresters. The new frontier is the working waterfront. When I talk with coastal land trusts, I ask what they are doing to help the fi shermen in their communities. The responses are encouraging. Traditional access routes for clammers and wormers have been acquired and conserved. Access to haul-out beaches has been protected. In at least two cases, active fi shing wharves have been acquired or protected. Launch sites have been made available. I know that there is more opportunity for these kinds of partnerships.
Maine’s success or failure in building a sustainable future for its people depends on a spirit of collaboration and innovation, coupled with the hard work to back it up. The emerging partnerships and initiatives aimed at saving Maine’s working waterfronts are a good example of how industry, non-profi ts and government can work together to realize a common vision. 8 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 Pemaquid Fishermen’s Cooperative faces changing times
By Melissa Waterman and turned to shrimping and other fi sheries in the winter. “In the 1990s we had 36 boats here,” said Wayne Dighton, general manager of But dragging for shrimp took the Pemaquid Fishermen’s Cooperative in New Harbor. He gestured toward the its toll on the inshore bottom. placid waters adjacent to Colonial Pemaquid Historic Site. “Now we have 17. And “Pemaquid Point was hit hard we don’t pay a bonus any more.” by shrimpers,” Dighton said. Times are hard for the Pemaquid Coop. Formed in 1947, the business encom- “There’s been substantial dam- passes a six-acre plot, with a new dock, bait cooler, two hoists, a lobster sorting facil- age to the bottom from being ity, clam buying room, a refurbished marine railway capable of hauling vessels up to raked over all the time.” That, 40 feet, a summertime seafood restaurant and enough parking to make many a dock he added, has infl uenced lob- owner envious. So what went wrong? ster density. “We get about half According to Dighton, half a dozen things have worked against the coop in re- a pound a pot at the height of cent years. “Many of our members have retired, died or just left,” Dighton explained. the season. If it’s a really great “We don’t have a great big area here and our members generally are in-shore lobster- year, a pound a pot,” Dighton men. We don’t have many offshore explained. guys here.” In addi-“Many of our members tion, Dighton said Realizing that there had to that the exit ratio for have retired, died or just Zone E has made it be a better way to catch shrimp, very hard for young- er lobstermen to one of the coop’s members, obtain a license. “It’s left. We don’t have a great a 5:1 ratio. Many of Roy Bickford, devised the them are waiting for big area here and our a license. And then shrimp trap now used through- when they start it’s really hard because out the coast, said Dighton. Be- you can only start members generally are with 300 traps,” tween 14 and 15 shrimp trap- Dighton added. in-shore lobstermen.” pers sold to the coop in years So those mem- bers who want to past. “I fi shed with Roy long bring in larger catch-Wayne Dighton es and can do so ago,” Dighton said. “He was Photo by Melissa Waterman. have moved out of the coop’s territory, getting up there but kept on to areas such as South Bristol or a different section of New Harbor. “The last time lobstering. One day he went out to haul with his oxygen tank on his back and he was we paid a bonus was in 2002, the year I started here,” Dighton said. lost overboard.” It all started out so well. Back in 1947, twenty-eight local lobstermen got together Dighton has tried a number of different avenues to diversity the business and and created the cooperative, explained Ann Hinck, the Pemaquid Coop’s bookkeep- bring bonuses back to coop members. “I tried a Community Supported Fishery, like er for the last thirty years. Bearing family names still found in the area, names like Port Clyde coop. That didn’t take. I looked into aquaculture. We have the restaurant, Blaisdell, Brackett, Fassett, and James, the men talked to Mr. Huntington, the owner which is mobbed in the summer. We pick our own shrimp for the restaurant which of the waterfront property, and found him willing to sell. “They each purchased a keeps costs down.” share in the cooperative for $10,” she said, looking over the stack of minutes repre- The coop members eventually decided to apply to the Working Waterfront Ac- senting the 64 years of the coop’s existence. Huntington eventually sold his parcel cess Pilot Program for assistance to upgrade their facilities. In exchange for a cov- for $1,000. By the end of the coop’s fi rst year, membership increased to 33. enant to the state ensuring that the coop’s property would forever remain working For decades, according to Hinck, the coop’s members lobstered in the summer waterfront land, the Pemaquid Fishermen’s Cooperative received $265,000 in 2008 Continued on page 9 July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 9
Past, Present and Future Highlights of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association Court experience formative for fl edgling MLA The MLA members voted to fi ght the charg- es and established a legal defense fund to pay for An event that took place more than fi fty years ago has infl uenced the Maine representation. Rockland attorney Alan Grossman Lobstermen’s Association activities to this day. It was back in 1956, two years and Boothbay Harbor attorney Stanley Tupper after the MLA formed, that its members voted to endorse a minimum price per were hired to defend the association and Les Dyer, pound for lobsters. At the June annual meeting, the MLA agreed to 35 cents per respectively. Grossman showed that buyers often pound for shedders and 50 cents for hard shells. held a distinct advantage over lobstermen at that But Jack Willard of the Willard-Daggett Company, a major buyer of lobsters time. He established that lobstermen often could throughout New England, decided something else. Just after Labor Day, he not buy bait unless he sold to the local dealer, that dropped his price to 30 cents per pound. Two other large buyers quickly fol- lobstermen often ended up owing those dealers lowed suit. In response, between 4,000 and 4,500 lobstermen tied their boats to large sums of money, and that some dealers who the docks. By mid-September the price had returned to 35 cents a pound and owned islands exacted a per-pound fee from lob- the lobstermen were back on the water. stermen who fi shed around those islands. Yet at The next year the same pattern repeated itself. At the 1957 MLA annual the close of the trial, which ran for nearly three meeting, members agreed to 35 cents per pound for shedders. This time is weeks at the end of May, 1958, both the MLA and Dyer were found guilty as was the Portland lobster buyers that dropped the price to 30 cents in mid-July, charged. A fi ne of $5,000 was levied against the MLA and $1,000 against Dyer; prompting another tie-up by Casco Bay lobstermen. Other harbors followed both fi nes were remitted by the court. suit. Lobstermen stayed off the water until the fi rst week of August, when the The consent decree issued by the Justice Department against the MLA has price had returned to between 30 and 32 cents for shedders. no termination date, and prohibits the MLA from acting in anyway to fi x, es- But by this time, the business community had taken notice. Attorney Phil tablish, maintain or stabilize the price for the sale of live lobsters; to urge, infl u- Willard, Jack Willard’s brother and business associate, contacted the federal dis- ence or suggest the price or conditions related to the sale of live lobsters; or to trict attorney’s offi ce in Portland to complain that the tie-up was a violation of reduce, curtail or limit the catch of live Maine lobsters. All of these activities the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and that the MLA was instigator of that violation. are ones already prohibited under the Sherman Anti-trust Act, but the MLA has On August 9, four Justice Department offi cials arrived in Portland to begin a been held to a higher level of scrutiny. grand jury investigation of the tie-up. In 2010, the MLA petioned the Department of Justice to remove the con- On October 15, indictments of the MLA and its president, Leslie Dyer, were sent decree from the MLA citing that the lobster industry, including its manage- handed down. The indictments cited conspiracy to “fi x, stabilize, and maintain ment, markets and product forms, have changed signifi cantly since the consent the prices for live Maine lobsters sold by MLA members and non-member lob- decree was issue. This petition is still under review. stermen to dealers in unreasonable restraint of … interstate trade and com- merce.”
Pemaquid continued from page 8 for a chilled seawater system capable of storing more than 10,000 pounds of lob- clams last year. “It’s a good opportunity to make money,” he explained. “It’s our sters, plus a new clam sorting room, repairs to the dock and marine railway and a winter-time buffer.” He remains hopeful that the coop will pull through its slack new offi ce for Dighton and Hincks. time. “We’ve just lost a lot of guys in the past decade to cancer, all sorts of things,” The improvements have provided more options for the coop as it struggles to Dighton noted. “It’s been real hard.” fi nd its footing again. Dighton said that he sold approximately 150,000 pounds of hy-liner Keep your rope company traps fishing even when you can’t get to ‘em! 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Females typi- Tof public scoping meetings in Maine to discuss options to reduce the risk of cally give birth to calves in January after a gestation period of 12-13 months. But entangling endangered whales in lobster gear, specifi cally, vertical lines. These meet- SAGs have been observed throughout the year. “SAGs are the most important be- ings are part of a multi-year process through which NMFS will devise new whale havior in the North Atlantic right whale,” said Kraus. Since females only give birth rules that will go into effect in 2014. every three years, there is “a mismatch between the numbers of sexually mature To raise awareness about the importance of these meetings and help lobstermen males and females,” Kraus explained. This creates extreme competition for the few understand why they are happening, the MLA newsletter will run a series of articles fertile females that are available each year. SAGs may take place year-round because on endangered whales and the laws in place to protect them. The second installment it is important for the male whales to practice mating behavior, therefore increasing of this series explores reproduction strategies and how the birth rate infl uences the their chances of successfully fertilizing a female. population growth. Producing and caring for offspring is physically draining for female right whales. There are only about 450 North Atlantic right whales left in the world. Some sci- Pregnancy lasts 12-13 months and results in the birth of a single calf, weighing be- entists believe that these whales could be extinct in 200 years if birth rates continue tween 1,500 and 2,000 pounds and measuring between 15 and 20 feet in length. The to be low and accidents with ships and fi shing gear continue. While deaths from ship calf will grow quickly while nursing, measuring between 28 and 30 feet after a year strikes have declined, population growth is still relatively low. “Population rate and with its mother. This year of nursing drains the mother of her nutrients and fat birth rate are two different things,” explained Scott Kraus, stores, requiring her to take at least a year to replenish her vice president of research at The New England Aquarium. “Th is is a classic conservation health and condition before mating again. “Population rate is all births minus all deaths.” Right now, Even though there are approximately 85 more North the population rate is at one to two percent growth per year. dilemma. Th e chances of fi sh- Atlantic right whales now then there were just four years Compared to the rate of the healthy right whale populations ermen seeing a right whale are ago, the birth rate is still far below what researches expect in the southern hemisphere, which are growing at six to sev- it to be. “In healthy populations, such as in the southern en percent a year, it looks as if the population in the north low; most guys won’t ever see hemisphere, if there are 100 sexually mature females, we is barely growing. However, if you look just at birth rate, the one.” Scott Kraus would expect to see about 33 calves a year. In the North number of babies born each year to northern whales has Atlantic we have about 120 adult females, and right now increased. In the 1980s, the average number of calves born we see the number of calves in the low to mid-20s,” re- each year was twelve, then it dropped in the 1990s to an average of ten, despite an ports Kraus. Last year there were 21 calves born, far fewer than the average of 40 increase in adult females. Calf production then rebounded starting in 2001, and for expected to be seen in a healthy population. “There are two parts to the equation,” the last ten years, an average of 24 calves have been born each year. Unfortunately, he explained. “We see diminished reproduction and increased mortality from human this is about 15-20 fewer calves than would be expected of the current population. interactions.” “Calving only happens every three years for females if all goes right,” said Kraus. Two of the biggest threats to right whales are ship strikes and entanglement in And it’s easy to see why so few calves are born when you realize what the whales go fi shing gear. “We’ve seen a reduction in kills from ships since they have been slowed through to have babies. down, but it’s too early to tell if gear changes are helping,” said Kraus. Over 80% of “The size of the male’s testicles usually grabs people’s attention,” said Kraus. this endangered species have scars indicating fi shing gear entanglement. Kraus said Right whales have the heaviest testes of any mammal, weighing in at nearly 2,000 the number of entanglements ranges from 20-80 each year. The rate of entangle- pounds. The males rely on the amount of sperm they can produce to successfully ments seems to be staying the same but the severity is increasing. “This may be be- mate with a female rather than displays of aggression or color. Males don’t fi ght cause rope has gotten stronger,” Kraus speculated, “and the further offshore people each other for the attention of a female like some fi sh, the bigger their rope gets so the whales animals do, they don’t show off fl ashy colors like are having a harder time breaking free.” many birds, nor do they protect a territory to prove Kraus said he knows it isn’t easy for the that they are dominant. Instead, they put their en- fi shermen to make changes to their gear, ergy into sperm production in hopes of success- especially when most people don’t see the fully mating with a female. But the females certainly whales near where they fi sh. “This is a classic don’t make it easy for the males. conservation dilemma. The chances of fi sh- Courtship occurs at the surface in what are ermen seeing a right whale are low; most guys termed Surface-Active Groups (SAG). “The fe- won’t ever see one. Nevertheless, 80% of the male doesn’t know who is a good mate,” explained whale population will encounter lobster gear. Kraus. “SAGs test his lung capacity and strength. If we could fi gure out how to make fi shing Females make it diffi cult in order to really test the gear that wont kill the whales, then the oc- males.” The female initiates the event by calling to casional gear entanglement wouldn’t be such males with a groan that resembles a cow mooing. a big problem.” The males swim to the female, eager to be the fi rst “We have seen a lot of success involving to reach her. However, once they do reach her, the fi shermen in this process,” said Kraus. “They female rolls onto her back, keeping her genitals out are making a great effort to be involved and many have been great, willing to test our crazy of the water, all while swimming in large circles. But Right whales in the Gulf of Maine. New England Aquarium photo. the males still have a chance; the female has to roll ideas to reduce lethal entanglements.” back over in order to breathe. “Copulations occurs every time she breathes, so mat- ing opportunities for males appear perhaps 60 times an hour,” Kraus said. “The STONINGTON OPERA HOUSE the nearly 100-year-old historic theater supporting ME's busiest working waterfront brand new, first-run movies CHECK OUT OUR professional & community theater Lee Watkinsoon Lobsterman ORIGINAL VIDEOS Owls Head, Maine jun 30-jul 17: shakespeare in stonington AUG 4-7: DEER ISLE JAZZ FESTIVAL A good anchor will keep you away from trouble and where you want to be. For strength. For stability. For security. We’re the partner you need when it counts the community education & special events most. Visit us online or stop by one of our 38 locations and find out how much better life can be when you have an anchor. open 52 weeks a year
800.860.8821 www.CamdenNational.com Member FDIC at the top of the commercial fish pier, Main St, Stonington ° °
CNB.14233 Fisherman_MLA Newsletter_June.indd 1 5/12/11 4:26 PM July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 11
Redfi sh continued from page1 groundfi sh stocks. So redfi sh were subject to all the season and area closures, fi sh- haddock last year and just a small amount was taken.” ing gear restrictions, minimum fi sh size limits, and formal rebuilding plans that the Another important part of the project is determining the market value of redfi sh entire Gulf of Maine groundfi sh complex was subject to. In the case of redfi sh, it today. Once upon a time, redfi sh became most of the fi sh sticks served in the Mid- worked. west, Kanwit said jokingly. “We want develop the redfi sh markets again,” she said. According to NMFS, today redfi sh are not overfi shed and overfi shing is not oc- “What’s the primary and secondary market value?” curring. That would be good news for groundfi shermen except for one thing: The To judge by past catch records, redfi sh met with favor in the consumer market- mandatory mesh size for trawler nets is now 6.5 inches. According to groundfi sher- place. But it is also a fi sh whose racks are prized by lobstermen. “At one time redfi sh men, redfi sh just slip through that size mesh. Thus a stock for which fi shing sectors racks were premier bait,” said Pol. “But no one’s fi shed for them since Amendment do receive an annual allocation is there to be caught, but can’t be because of mesh 5 came in.” size. “Industry came to DMR and said that the mesh size was too large,” Kanwit said. “The Cooperative Research Partners Program [part of NMFS] was looking for proposals from collaborative fi shing groups. So we created this project with DMF and University of Massachusetts FMAST and probably twenty other organizations.” Prior to Kanwit’s project, the Northeast Consortium, composed of University of New Hampshire, University of Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution fi sheries researchers, in 2010 funded a project conducted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) that focused on jigging for redfi sh. Swan’s Island fi sherman Jason Joyce worked with GMRI re- searchers to evaluate whether using jigging machines would be a practical and eco- nomic method of selectively catching the fi sh. Jigging can be a highly selective and low-cost fi shing method. The team fi shed for ten days off of Swan’s Island using different jigging methods and hook sizes to catch the fi sh. The jigging machines ap- peared to work well and were easy to operate, according to GMRI scientist Adam Baukus, offering one option to those interested in re-entering the fi shery. Kanwit’s multi-year project includes not only evaluating different mesh sizes and net confi gurations but also the issue of re-invigorating the market for redfi sh. Maine DMR has received an experimental fi shery permit from NMFS giving project re- searchers 40 days at sea to try out different mesh confi gurations. “We just got back from a fi ve day trip [with a vessel in the Sustainable Harvest Sector, based in Port- Net full of redfi sh coming aboard. Photo courtesy of Kohl Kanwit. land] using 4.5-inch mesh at the cod end,” Kanwit said. “The whole point is to see if we can catch the fi sh without signifi cant bycatch.” The results of that trip are being analyzed this month. Wyatt Anderson, manager of O’Hara Corporation’s bait division attributes that Mike Pol, aquatic biologist with the Massachusetts DMF, is in charge of a second to its staying power. “It lasts longer on the bottom than herring,” he explained. project component, cod-end selectivity. He and other researchers want to determine “Redfi sh has more bones than herring so it takes lobsters longer to eat it.” Currently the optimal mesh size to ensure the lowest amount of bycatch possible. “The role Anderson gets frozen and salted whole redfi sh shipped to him from Canada. He of gear engineering is to help refi ne fi shing technology,” Pol explained. “We will tow added that many of the older lobstermen snap it up when it comes in. different size and shape cod ends to match the net to the size of fi sh we want to The collaborative redfi sh project will continue for two to three years, Kanwit catch. We’ll work on the front end of the net to reduce bycatch.” said. “We want to fi sh in different times of the year and in different areas. No one Pol said that fi shermen tell him that redfi sh was a particularly clean fi shery in has done this in a really long time. It’s exciting.” the old days due to the fi sh’s schooling behavior. Plus the population appears to be robust. “Redfi sh was the second largest Total Allowable Catch after Georges Bank
Players continued from page1 customers in this country and abroad. from here down to Massachusetts and to service our So two new players are now operating in Maine’s lob- Prince Edward Island plant.” Mazzetta Co. purchased ster world. What effect might their presence in the state the Beach Point seafood processing plant on Prince Ed- have on lobstermen? ward Island in 2010 where it plans to process snow crab, The immediate effect appears to be an uptick in early herring and lobster. summer prices. In mid-June, just prior to Father’s Day, Pete McAleney, owner of New Meadows Lobster in lobstermen in the mid-coast region saw an abrupt in- Portland and director of the Maine Import Export Lob- crease in the boat price. According to Randy Bushey, ster Dealers Association (MIELDA) said that it’s to be owner of Bushey Enterprises in Milbridge, that increase expected that the “two new boys are mixing everything was “defi nitely not market-driven.” Bushey reported that up.” The product from the islands at this time of year lobster smacks that had been selling their Matinicus and is exceptionally good, he explained, and so there is an Vinalhaven lobsters to Live Lobster Co. began selling to incentive to lock on to a good supply from the smacks. Mazzetta’s in Spruce Head. Live Lobster in turn raised its “But the price will have to go down again,” McAleney price for island lobsters. The boat price went up 65 cents said. “Consumers aren’t going to pay a lot of money overnight as the two companies jockied for position. over time.” Pete Daley, manager of Garbo Lobster in Hancock, Keran Resch, owner of Eastern Traders in Noble- reported the same. “Both companies get a fair amount boro which ships lobster to Canada, sees a threat if such from smack boats operating on Vinalhaven, Matinicus and price wars continue throughout the summer. “In the Rockland. The price went up to $6.25 one weekend,” he long-term these prices are totally detrimental to the in- said. That price increase crept up the coast to Sunshine, dustry even if in the short-term it may be good for some where Live Lobster Co. has a buying station. “On Satur- lobstermen. People are taking lobster off their menus,” day, Live Lobster began paying $6.75 direct to the boat he said. “Look, I can buy graded lobster in Boston for when most others were paying $4.75 to $5.25,” Daley con- less than I can in my own backyard.” tinued. “That caused an uproar. I had to go to $6.25 [by Greg Hansen is the Mazzetta Co.’s man in Maine. Hansen has According to Daley, the high prices offered by been in the lobster and seafood business for more than two decades. the start of the week].” smacks make it hard for those who operate buying sta- Photo by Melissa Waterman. Hansen wouldn’t comment on the maneuvering taking tions on shore with fi xed costs to pay year-in, year-out. place between the two companies. Live Lobster Co. was “The market isn’t dictating the price,” Daley argued. “It’s not available for comment by press time. He did, however, note that Mazzetta Co. the tail wagging the dog. Smacks want to eliminate buying stations. That’s not a good is in Maine for the long term. “This is a just a step in our long-term plan in Maine,” idea because we supply the infrastructure for the industry, the bait, gas, supplies and he said. “This [the Atwood property] is a well-suited location to source product access to the water.” 12 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Member Business Listing
ACCOUNTANTS Maine Betta Bait Midcoast Marine Electronics Hamilton Marine Viking Wear 8 Penley St 532 Main St. ~155 E Main St Nat Dillenback Williams CPA Group LLC Augusta, ME 04330 Rockland, ME 04841 Searsport, ME 04974 46 S. Prospect S PO Box 839 207-623-3638 207-691-3993 207-548-2985 Miller Falls, MA Rockport, ME 04856 [email protected] www.midcoastmarine.com) ~100 Fore St 413-522-7406 207-236-8781 Portland, ME 04101 www.vikingwear O’Hara Corportation Sawyer & Whitten Marine 207-774-1772 AUTOMOTIVE 120 Tillson Ave ~416 Commericial St HOME IMPROVEMENT Rockland, ME 04841 Portland, ME 04101 ~20 Park Dr 207-594-0405 207-879-4500 Rockland, ME 04841 Eastern Tire & Auto Service Casco Bay Hom [email protected] 207-594-8181 / 800-639-2715 70 Park St 56 Leighton Rd. ~118 Tillson Ave [email protected] Rockland, ME 04841 Augusta, ME 04 Purse Line Bait Rockland, ME 04841 www.hamiltonmarine.com 207-594-5250 207-620-9090 32 Bakers Wharf Rd 207-594-7073 Discounts for MLA members www.easterntireinc.com [email protected] Sebasco Estates, ME 04565 [email protected]; www.gocasco.co 207-389-9155 www.sawyerwhitten.com Island Fishing Gear & Auto Parts 10% off all home i Ellsworth Auto Supply, Inc. [email protected] 59 Downeast Highway PO Box 292 FINANCIAL & INVESTMENT SERVICES Ellsworth, ME 04605 Stonington, ME 04681 Superior Bait and Salt 207-367-5959 HYDRAULICS 207-667-5524 / 800-339-2808 Glenn Hall [email protected]; Damariscotta Bank & Trust Co [email protected] 21 Balsam Lane 25 Main St www.ellsworthautosupply.com Coastal Hydraulic Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 Damariscotta, ME 04543 Jeff ’s Marine, Inc Show your MLA card to receive discounts PO Box 2832 207-372-8925 207-563-8121 2 Brooklyn Heights Seabrook, NH 0 Hews Company LLC [email protected] PO Box 236 BOAT BUILDERS/BOAT REPAIR 603-474-1914 190 Rumery St www.damariscottabank.com Thomaston, ME 04861 207-354-8777 sales@coastalhyd South Portland, ME 04106 10% discount on al Wesmac Custom Boats Farm Credit of Maine ACA [email protected] 207-767-2136 / 800-234-4397 MLA members [email protected],www.hewsco.com PO Box 56 615 Minot Ave Surry, ME 04684 Auburn, ME 04210 Logtek Inc Hews Company L 207-667-4822 207-784-0193 800-831-4230 Tim Bourque & James Roy (ME sales) Island Fishing Gear & Auto Parts 190 Rumery St [email protected] [email protected] Box 98, RR 2 PO Box 292 South Portland, M www.wesmac.com www.farmcreditmaine.com Tusket, NS BOW 3M0 Canada Stonington, ME 04681 207-767-2136 / 8 2% discount on fi berglass components 207-510-1763 / 888-840-1089 207-367-5959 [email protected] Maine Financial Group [email protected] [email protected] www.hewsco.com DOCUMENTATION SERVICE Jim Amabile [email protected] 15 Pleasant Hill Rd Newcastle Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep Lonnie’s Hydraul Scarborough, ME 04074 Maine Coast Petroleum, Inc 573 Rt. 1 Coastal Documentation 227 Middlesex Rd 207-885-5900 800-974-9995 PO Box 295 Newcastle, ME 04553 111 Dennision Rd Topsham, ME 0 j.amabile@mainefi nancialgroup.com Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 207-563-8138 / 888-944-5337 Spruce Head, ME 04859 207-725-7552 [email protected] 207-596-6575 207-372-6962 [email protected] The First www.newcastlemotorcars.com [email protected]; Marine Hydraulic PO Box 940 Midcoast Marine Supply 15% off parts and service www.coastaldocumentation.com 17 Gordon Dr Damariscotta, ME 04543 153 New County Rd Rockland, ME 0 207-563-3195 / 800-564-3195 Thomaston, ME 04861 Weirs Motor Sales Inc Northeast Marine Survey, Inc 207-594-9527 [email protected] 207-594-0011 1513 Portland Rd PO Box 231 marinhyd@midco Arundel, ME 04046 Bailey Island, ME 04003 www.thefi rst.com [email protected] www.midcoastmarinesupply.com 207-985-3537 207-833-0954 Rose’s Marine Union Trust Bank, a division [email protected] www.weirsgmc.com [email protected] 375 Main St of Camden National Bank Neptune Inc www.northeastmarinesurvey.us Gloucester, MA 66 Main St, Suite 101 39 Slater St BAIT DEALERS 10% off the commercial rate 978-283-3334 / 8 Ellsworth, ME 04605 Attleboro, MA 02703 [email protected] 207-610-1957 / 800-660-4537 508-222-8313 / 800-642-7113 Alfred Osgood EDUCATION AND TRADE SHOWS www.rosesmarine [email protected] [email protected] PO Box 358 www.uniontrust.com www.neptune-inc.com Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Diversifi ed Business Communications INDUSTRY ORGANIZAT 207-863-2518 PO Box 7437 FISHING, MARINE & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES Neptune Marine Products Inc [email protected] Portland, ME 04112 PO Box 2068 Coastal Enterpris 207-842-5500 2 Portland Fish P All Points Marine Port Townsend, WA 98368 Bessy Bait LLC [email protected] Portland, ME 04 PO Box 543 206-789-3790 155 R Batchelder Rd www.divbusiness.com 207-772-5356 Narragansett, RI 02882 www.neptunemarineproducts.com Seabrook, NH 03874 [email protected] 401-284-4044 603-300-2846 / 603-300-2849 Mount Desert Oceanarium New England Marine & Industrial Inc www.ceimaine.or [email protected] PO Box 696 [email protected] www.apmco.us Discounts available to MLA members 200 Spaulding Turnpike www.bessybait.com Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 Portsmouth, NH 03801 Gulf of Maine L 207-288-5005 PO Box 523 Atlantis Marine Gear Supply Inc 603-436-2836 / 800-492-0779 Bait Man Co. LLC [email protected] Kennebunk, ME 418 Boston St [email protected] Al West Free admission to commercial fi shermen and www.newenglandmarine.com 207-985-8088 er PO Box 69 their families Topsfi eld, MA 01983 978-887-0001 ww.amgs.com Prospect Harbor, ME 04669 Polyform US Island Fishermen 207-632-7267 [email protected] Maine Fishermens Forum PO Box 293 Bath Lobster Supply 7030 S 224th PO Box 288 Stonington, ME 340 State Rd, Suite B Kent, WA 98032 Cape Porpoise Lobster Co Inc Bath, ME 04530 253-872-0300 207-367-5579 ifw 184 Beachwood Ave 207-442-7700 West Bath, ME 04530 207-386-3225 www.brookstrapmill.com [email protected] Kennebunkport, ME 04046 chilloa@mefi shcoop.org; www.polyformus.com Island Institute 207-967-0900 PO Box 648 buoysticks.com [email protected] Penobscot Marine Museum Rockland, ME 0 3628 Turner Ridge Rd Superior Marine Products Inc www.capeporpoiselobster.com 5 Church St 207-594-9209 x1 Somerville, ME 04348 15 Murray Drive Searsport, ME 04974 Raymond, ME 04071 rsnyder@islandin Channel Fish Co 207-548-2529 207-549-7204 [email protected] 207-655-4492 370 East Eagle St Maine Import Expo www.plantebuoysticks.com superioroffi [email protected] East Boston, MA 02128 Seafood.com News www.superiormarineprod.com PO Box 10228 617-569-3200 8 White Pine Lane Portland, ME 04 lou@channelfi sh.com Lexington, MA 02421 Grundens USA Ltd PO Box 2068 WD Matthews Machinery Co 207-775-1612 781-861-1441 PO Box 319 lobsters@newme DB Rice Fisheries [email protected] Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-779-4439 / 800-323-7327 Auburn, ME 04212 www.mainelobste PO Box 57 207-784-9311 Birch Harbor, ME 04613 ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT [email protected] www.grundens.com [email protected] Maine Lobster Pr [email protected] www.wdmatthews.com 45 Memorial Circ Pete’s Marine Electronics Augusta, ME 04 Guy Cotten, Inc Lund’s Fisheries Inc 101 Washington Rd 207-287-5140 782 South Water St Vessel Services Inc. 997 Ocean Dr Waldoboro, ME 04572 info@lobsterfrom New Bedford, MA 02740 1 Portland Fish Pier Cape May, NJ 08204 207-350-2500 Portland, ME 04101 www.lobsterfrom 609-884-7600 [email protected] 508-997-7075 / 800-444-6050 [email protected] 207-772-5718 dbrand@lundsfi sh.com vesselservices.com,[email protected] www.lundsfi sh.com www.guycottenusa.com July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 13
Highliner business members are noted in BOLD.
Maine Port Authority Bayleys Lobster Pound Fishermen’s Heritage Lobster Coop Millers Wharf Lobster LLC 16 State House Station PO Box 304 PO Box 359 PO Box 486 t. Augusta, ME 04333 Scarborough, ME 04070 Friendship, ME 04547 Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 A 01349 207-624-3560 207-883-4571 207-832-6378 [email protected] [email protected] Muscongus Bay Lobster r.com www.maineports.com www.bayleys.com Garbo Lobster 28 Landing Rd PO Box 334 Round Pound, ME 04564 T Maine Sea Grant Calendar Islands Maine Lobster LLC Hancock, ME 04640 207-529-2251 5784 York Complex, Bldg 6 6A Portland Fish Pier 207-422-3217 [email protected] me Improvement Orono, ME 04469 Portland, ME 04101 [email protected] www.mainefreshlobster.com . 207-581-1435 207-541-9140 4330 [email protected] [email protected] www.ciml207.com Georgetown Fishermen’s Coop Pemaquid Fishermen’s Coop www.seagrant.umaine.edu 89 Moores Tpke PO Box 152 om Canobie Seafoods, Inc Georgetown, ME 04548 New Harbor, ME 04554 om Penobscot Bay & River Pilots Assn 1077 Bar Harbor Rd 207-371-2950 207-677-2801 [email protected] improvement projects Jeffrey Cockburn Trenton, ME 04605 18 Mortland Rd. 207-667-2250 Glens Lobster Co P.J. Lobster Company, Inc. Searsport, ME 04984 [email protected] 12 Abner Point Rd Alan Leck/Jonathan Seavey 207-548-1077 Bailey Island, ME 04003 339 Northern Ave [email protected] Cape Porpoise Lobster Co Inc 207-833-6138 Boston, MA 02210 184 Beachwood Ave [email protected] 617-946-2430 cs Inc Penobscot East Resource Center Kennebunkport, ME 04046 [email protected] www.pjlobster.com PO Box 27 207-967-0900 Graffam Brothers Seafood Market 03874 Stonington, ME 04681 [email protected] PO Box 340 Port Clyde Fishermen’s Coop 207-367-2708 www.capeporpoiselobster.com Rockport, ME 04856 PO Box 103 d.com [email protected] 207-236-8391 Port Clyde, ME 04855 ll in stock items for www.penobscoteast.org Chrisanda Corp [email protected] 207-372-8922 9 Ferry Rd www.lobsterstogo.com INSURANCE Lewiston, ME 04240 Port Clyde Lobster LLC 800-448-7663 Holden Seafood Corporation PO Box 239 Atlantic Insurance & Benefi ts [email protected] 93 E 7th Street Port Clyde, ME 04855 ME 04106 New York, NY 10009 207-372-8520 800-234-4397 58 High St Belfast, ME 04915 Conary Cove Lobster Co Inc 212-387-8487 [email protected] m 83 Conary Cove Rd [email protected] m 207-338-9787 / 800-948-1457 [email protected] Deer Isle, ME 04627 www.lukeslobster.com Port Lobster Co Inc www.atlantic-insurance.com 207-348-6185 PO Box 729 lic Inc HR Beal & Sons Inc Kennebunkport, ME 04046 d Chapman & Chapman Cooks Lobster House 182 Clark Point Rd 207-967-2081 4086 PO Box1030 PO Box 12 Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 [email protected] Damariscotta, ME 04543 Bailey Island, ME 04003 207-244-3202 www.portlobster.com 207-563-3143 / 800-370-3143 207-833-6641 [email protected] c Engineering Co Inc [email protected] [email protected] www.bealslobster.com Portland Shellfi sh Co, Inc www.cookslobster.com 92 Waldron Way 04841 InSphere Insurance Solutions Interstate Lobster Inc Portland, ME 04103 Corea Lobster Cooperative PO Box 269 207-767-1625 oast.com Rick Williams PO Box 74 PO Box 99 Harpswell, ME 04079 info@pshellfi sh.com Prospect Harbor, ME 04669 Corea, ME 04624 207-833-5516 www.pshellfi sh.com 207-963-4111 207-963-7936 [email protected] [email protected] Ipswich Shellfi sh Co Inc Post Brothers Inc 01930 8 Hayward St PO Box 541 800-283-3334 Smithwick & Mariners Insurance Cozy Harbor Seafood Inc Ipswich, MA 01938 Rockland, ME 04841 net 366 US Route One PO Box 389 800-477-9424 207-594-5824 e.com Falmouth, ME 04105 Portland, ME 04112 ffullerton@ipswichshellfi sh.com 207-781-5553 800-370-1883 207-879-2665 www.ipswichshellfi sh.com Quahog Lobster Inc TIONS [email protected] [email protected] 5 Lobster Lane Discounted vessel insurance for MLA www.cozyharbor.com Island Seafood, LLC Harpswell, ME 04079 ses Inc members. Additional 5% discount if Coast 32 Brook Rd 207-725-6222 Pier, Suite 201 Guard-approved Fishing Vessel Drill Con- Craig’s All Natural Eliot, ME 03903 [email protected] 4101 ductor course completed within 5 years. 25 Winecellar Rd. 207-439-8508 randyisf@comcast.net Durham, NH 03824 Ready Seafood rg LEGAL SERVICES 603-397-5331 ‘Keag Store Hobson’s Wharf rg [email protected] 4 Elm St, PO Box 76 Portland, ME 04112 South Thomaston, ME 04858 207-541-3672 Joseph W. Baiungo Lobster Foundation Cranberry Isles Fishermens Coop 207-596-6957 [email protected] 111-A Church St. PO Box 258 www.readyseafood.com Belfast, ME 04915 04043 Islesford, ME 04646 Kent’s Wharf 207-338-6841 [email protected] 207-244-5438 31 Steamboat Hill Seaview Lobster Co [email protected],www.baiungo.com Swans Island, ME 04685 PO Box 291 n’s Wives Eco Lobster Catch 207-526-4186 [email protected] Kittery, ME 03904 Doyle & Nelson PO Box 452 207-439-1599 150 Capitol St 04681 Owls Head, ME 04854 Kips Seafood Co [email protected] Augusta, ME 04330 [email protected] 207-593-1313 117 River Rd www.seaviewlobster.com [email protected]; [email protected]; Cushing, ME 04563 ~ 207-354-8997 www.doylenelson.com www.ecolobstercatch.com Sea Hag Seafood Lake Pemaquid Inc 48 Wallston Rd. Nicholas H Walsh PA 04841 Erins Pride Seafood Corp PO Box 967 Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 111 Commerical St 42 124-11 Newport Ave Damariscotta, ME 04543 207-691-5391 [email protected] Portland, ME 04101 nstitute.org Rockaway Park, NY 11694 207-563-5202 207-772-2191 917-468-1295 [email protected] Shucks Maine Lobster [email protected] ort Dealers Association [email protected] www.lakepemaquid.com 150 Main St, Suite 4 www.nicholas-walsh.com Richmond, ME 04357 4104 F W Thurston Co Inc Little Bay Lobster Inc 207-737-4800 LOBSTER/SEAFOOD/WHOLESALE/RETAIL PO Box 178 158 Shattuck Way [email protected] eadowslobster.com Bernard, ME 04612 Newington, NH 03801 www.shucksMaine.com erdealers.com Atlantic Edge Lobster 207-244-3320 603-431-3170 71 Atlantic Ave [email protected] South Bristol Fishermens Coop romotion Council Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 Finest Kind Scenic Cruises www.littlebaylobster.com PO Box 63 cle 207-633-2300 PO Box 1828 South Bristol, ME 04568 4330 [email protected] Ogunquit, ME 03907 Lobster Products Inc 207-644-8224 [email protected] 64 Tidal Falls Rd mmaine.com Atwood Lobster Co www.fi nestkindcruises.com Hancock, ME 04640 Spruce Head Fishermen’s Coop mmaine.com PO Box 202 Island Rd 207-422-6238 275 Island Rd Spruce Head, ME 04859 [email protected] South Th omaston, ME 04858 207-596-6691 207-594-7980 www.atwoodlobster.com 14 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011
Stonington Lobster Coop Fishermen’s Voice RESTAURANTS Eaton Trap Co Inc PO Box 87 PO Box 253 12 Birchwood Rd Gouldsboro, ME 04607 Woolwich, ME 04579 Stonington, ME 04681 Barnacle Billys Inc 207-963-7195 207-443-3617 207-367-2286 PO Box 837 [email protected]; [email protected] Ogunquit, ME 03907 Islesboro Island News 207-646-5575 PO Box 66 Friendship Trap Company Swans Island Fishermens Coop [email protected] www.barnbilly.com PO Box 116 Islesboro, ME 04848 570 Cushing Rd Swans Island, ME 04685 207-734-9728 Friendship, ME 04547 Bowdoin College Dining Services 207-526-4327 [email protected] [email protected] 207-354-2545 800-451-1200 3700 College Station [email protected] Brunswick, ME 04011 National Fisherman www.friendshiptrap.com Vinalhaven Fishermens Coop 207-725-3432 [email protected] 11 Main St, Box 366 121 Free St Discounts from 5% to 10% (depending on Portland, ME 04112 product) for MLA members who show their card Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Newick’s Hospitality Group, Inc Discounted annual subscription 863-2263, [email protected] 431 Dover Point Rd Portland Trap Dover, NH 03820 PROPELLERS 26-28 Union Wharf Weathervane Seafoods Inc 603-742-3205 www.newicks.com 31 Badgers Island West Portland, ME 04101 800-244-8727 Kittery, ME 03904 Accutech Marine Propeller, Inc Th e Clam Shack [email protected] 207-439-0920 24 Crosby Rd Unit 6 PO Box 620C www.brookstrapmill.com www.weathervaneseafoods.com Dover, NH 03820 Kennebunkport, ME 04046 603-617-3626 207-967-3321 Sea Rose Trap Co Winter Harbor Fishermen’s Coop [email protected] [email protected] 6 Banagher Way 23 Pedleton Rd. www.accutechmarine.com www.theclamshack.net Winter Harbor, ME 04693 20% off propeller repair. Discounts for new Scarborough, ME 04074 963-5857, [email protected] 207-730-2063 propellers, shafting and other hardware SAFETY TRAINING [email protected] MARINE ENGINES Nautilus Marine Fabrication, Inc. McMillan Offshore Survival Training 13 Industrial Way 148 Waterville Rd TRUCK LEASING Trenton, ME 04605 All Points Marine Belfast, ME 04915 207-667-1119 PO Box 543 207-338-1603 Cushing Diesel, LLC [email protected] Narragansett, RI 02882 [email protected]; 6 Spear Mill Rd 401-284-4044 www.mcmillanoffshore.com Cushing, ME 04841 [email protected] www.apmco.us New England Propeller Inc 207-354-0600 Discounts available to MLA members 9 Apollo Eleven Rd [email protected] Plymouth, MA 02360 SALT Milton Cat 508-747-6666 David Arey Trucking PO Box 960 [email protected], www.neprop.com Maine Salt Company 677 Coldbrook Rd 14 North Haven Rd Scarborough, ME 04070 PO Box 386 207-833-9586 Hermon, ME 04401 207-848-3796 Vinalhaven, ME 04863 [email protected] REAL ESTATE 207-863-2281 [email protected] www.miltoncat.com [email protected] www.mainesalt.com Megunticook Real Estate Superior Bait and Salt Howling Hill Transportation Northern Lights/Lugger Ed Glover PO Box 20 8 Connector Rd Glenn Hall 19 Birds Loop Rd 21 Balsam Lane Bucksport, ME 04416 Andover, MA 01810 Owls Head, ME 04854 207-460-0134 [email protected]. 978-475-7400 / 800-762-0166 Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 207-504-7606 207-372-8925 [email protected] [email protected]; www.northern-lights.com www.coastalmainere.com
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MLA members may run clas- sifi eds free for up to three !Uvyy6rr R months at a time. SpxyhqH@#'# Get rid of the R [ debris. Let your Qur)!&$(##### R " # R $ Ah)!&$(##& [ % &' fellow lobster- ' ()* men know + , - what you have Hh vrShqvWCA ''' 8uhry(hq ' ''' and what you want.
Contact Melissa Waterman, 691.2330 or [email protected] for information. July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 15 Meeting Roundup
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will be tested off Monhegan Island next year. It will be a scaled-down model of a submerged fl oat and turbine. The Institute will be conducting outreach this summer The ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section met on June 7 in Portsmouth, New to introduce connect wind energy developers and coastal communities. Hampshire. Main agenda items were (1) review public comment regarding the Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 2 to the FMP for Northern Shrimp, Sarah Cotnoir from Maine’s Department of Marine Resources updated the MLA (2) review the Advisory Panel (AP) recommendations regarding issues in the PID, board on the timeline for the new whale rules and reviewed the meetings held to and (3) task the Plan Development Team (PDT) to create a draft of Amendment 2 date by DMR including those with the Commissioner and zone councils. She pro- with selected potential management options. vided a summary of ideas for vertical line risk reduction generated by lobstermen during this outreach. GoMLF held a meeting with industry, NMFS and whale ex- The Shrimp Section suggested changes to the goal and objectives of the North- perts to discuss options for vertical line risk reduction which revealed interest in gear ern Shrimp FMP to maintain a viable fi shery on a sustainable resource while protect- modifi cations such as weak rope on top of the buoy line as a means to reduce the ing historical participants. These suggestions will be included in Draft Amendment vertical line risk to whales. DMR has scheduled three scoping meetings on June 21- 2 for consideration. Clarifi cation of the goal and objectives of the FMP provided 23 to get broader feedback from Maine lobstermen in advance of the NMFS Scop- the basis for selecting options to be included in draft Amendment 2. ing meetings which will be held July 11-14. The mandate from NMFS to improve gear marking was also discussed. For draft Amendment 2, the Section included several short-term options that could be implemented in the 2011/2012 fi shery. As a fi rst step towards limited entry, MLA directors approved the summary of the May meeting. Patrice McCarron the Section set a control date of June 7, 2011, noting that any new entrants after this reviewed MLA’s fi nancials and reported that the budget is on track and well ahead date may be treated differently than participants already in the fi shery. The Section of last year. The Maine Lobstermen’s Alliance has fi led its fi rst annual report with also noted that landings history prior to this control date may be considered as a the state. The MLA Relief Fund for Dave Mahonen received a few more donations limited entry program is developed. and will remain open until the end of the summer with ads running in CFN and FV.
Additionally, the Section included mandatory weekly reporting by primary pur- MLA’s 2011 membership year will end below our goal, however, the MLA suc- chasers (including peddlers) noting that timelier reporting will help industry make cessfully recruited more than 100 new members this year. The MLA newsletter con- better business plans and allow managers the ability to accurately monitor harvest. tinues to get great reviews and advertising revenue has been adequate to cover costs. The Section also tasked the PDT to analyze trip limit options that would control The July newsletter will be mailed to non-commercial lobstermen with a member- landings rates and minimize the potential for discard mortality by evaluating land- ship appeal. The MLA directors also supported giving complimentary MLA mem- ings by vessel catch history, gear type, and vessel size class. berships to all new entrants to the lobster fi shery on a quarterly basis to welcome them to the industry. The Section also included harvest quotas and limited entry in the adaptive man- agement section of draft Amendment 2. Although implementing harvest quotas Staff provided updates on MLA programs. The TAA program is going well. and/or limited entry for the 2011/2012 fi shery would be a challenge, including them MLA has organized 23 workshops in May and June to provide intensive training in in the adaptive management section of draft Amendment 2 provides the fl exibility addition to the online offerings. Workshops will resume again in the fall. Both the to implement these options through a future Addendum to the FMP. online and in person workshops have been well received. Details of the legislative session have been tracked in the MLA newsletter. The Legislature passed a bill to Lastly, options to allow closure of the fi shery through Section action with the allow processors to process oversized lobster, but this will sunset in 2013. The Leg- inclusion of public comment, allow in-season modifi cations (e.g., days out), and al- islature also tasked DMR to conduct a study of the lobster industry’s limited entry low the fi shing mortality target to be updated as the stock assessment is updated was system and report back in 2013. The Legislature passed a fuel tax exemption for all included in draft Amendment 2. Continued on page 21 MLA Directors meeting
Maine Lobstermen’s Association directors met on June 7 in Belfast. Dr. Heather Deese from the Island Institute updated the MLA directors on ocean wind energy. The Island Institute is involved in offshore ocean wind through helping determine the environmental impacts and ensuring that fi shing communities have a voice in the process. The Institute is examing how the coast will be impacted by a large-scale MLA Members offshore wind development. The political landscape has changed dramatically with the Baldacci administration strongly in favor of wind energy to the Lepage admin- Discount Directory istration taking a more neutral stance. On the federal level there remains a huge MLA Members! Present your MLA membership card at the amount of support for offshore wind development. A University of Maine turbine following business and receive generous discounts!
All Points Marine Mount Desert Oceanarium Naragansett, RI -- discounts Southwest Harbor, ME -- Free available for MLA members admission for commercial Accutech Marine Propeller fi shermen and families Th e Bait Report Dover, NH -- 20% off propeller Newcastle Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep repair; discounts for new Newcastle, ME -- 15% off all 2011 Herring Catch and Quota propellers, shafting and hardware parts and service, not to be Applied Refrigeration Services combined with other offers Windham, ME -- $250 off new Northeast Marine Survey Area Quota % of quota 2011 quota 2010 quota installations (as of 6/15) Harpswell, ME -- 10% off
Coastal Hydraulics commercial rate Area 1A 545 2% 26,251 26,546 Seabrook, NH -- 10% discount on all in stock items Penobscot Marine Museum Searsport, ME -- Free admission Area 1B 1,515 35% 4,362 4,362 Ellsworth Auto Supply, Inc. Ellsworth, ME -- Discounts on for MLA members Area 2 12,453 56% 22,146 22,146 various items Smithwick & Mariners Insurance Casco Bay Home Improvement Falmouth, ME -- Discounted Area 3 4,065 11% 38,146 38,146 Augusta, ME -- 10% off home vessel insurance; additional 5% improvements with proof of completion of Fish- ing Vessel Drill Conductor course Total 18,579 20% 90,905 90,700 Friendship Trap Company Friendship, ME -- Discounts of within 5 years. Data from the NMFS Weekly Atlantic Herring report. 5% to 10% depending on product Wemac Custom Boats IVR data are compared to federal and state dealer data each week and dealer reports are Hamilton Marine Surry, ME -- 2% discount of used to supplement the IVR when necessary. These supplements include data from non- Portland / Rockland / Searsport -- fi berglass components federally permitted inshore fi sheries when provided by state agencies or from other sources. Discounts vary by product 16 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 DMR urges lobstermen to get ready for NMFS July meetings n preparation for the NMFS Scoping meetings in Maine could remove one third of vertical lines from to submit such a plan and is willing to put forward risk IJuly, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) federal waters if triples were required as the minimum reduction ideas for Maine on a zone-by-zone basis and has been seeking the opinions of Maine lobstermen. trawl confi guration. at smaller scales if needed. According to Colonel Joe The Commissioner held a meeting with several lobster- Other ideas were discussed such as using a smaller Fessenden, DMR Marine Patrol, “Lobstermen’s ideas man from each zone to get their thoughts about practi- diameter rope at the top of the vertical line, shortening for Maine’s proposal are critically important to our ef- cal ways to reduce risk of vertical lines to whales. DMR the length of line allowed in the surface system, man- fort to determine what makes sense for Maine.” All the then followed up with a series of regional meetings datory reporting of average number of vertical lines proposals will be evaluated at the Atlantic Large Whale with small groups of lobstermen to generate specifi c fi shed on a monthly basis and improved gear marking. Take Reduction Team meeting scheduled for January, ideas for vertical line risk reduction. These ideas were During the third week of June, DMR held a series 2012. brought to the zone councils for additional feedback. of scoping meetings in Biddeford, Rockland and Ells- The DMR Scoping meetings drew small but en- Many ideas were generated during these meetings worth to get further industry input on methods to re- gaged groups of lobstermen, with eight lobstermen at- with some agreement on a few approaches. Lobster- duce vertical line risk to large whales and on potential tending the Biddeford meeting, 22 in Ellsworth, and 12 men urged DMR to look at trawling up gear in areas management options feasible for Maine lobstermen. in Rockland. During the Biddeford meeting, lobster- of highest co-occurrence (those areas which NMFS DMR scheduled these meetings in advance of four men discussed the idea of trawling up gear outside of has identifi ed as having a high likelihood of whales and NMFS scoping sessions to be held in July in order to Boon Island and identifi ed a few areas where trawling gear present at the same time). The industry agrees that urge lobstermen to think about potential solutions and up would not be a viable option for lobstermen. There Maine should focus on federal waters and look at man- to attend the federal meetings. was discussion of trawling up to longer gear sets out- agement options on a zone-by-zone basis. Year-round NMFS is inviting individual states and interested side of 12 miles. rather than seasonal management approaches were parties to submit proposals by September 30, 2011 to During the Ellsworth meeting, a lobsterman ques- also preferred. Preliminary model runs indicate that outline a strategy to reduce risk to whales. DMR plans tioned the need to provide any plan to NMFS, stating Continued on page 22
addressed the fi rst principle; reducing entanglement risk he Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan per unit effort (SPUE) data, NMFS developed a model to from groundlines in October 2007 with the implementa- T(ALWTRP), implemented in 1997, consists of determine the co-occurrence of fi shing gear density and tion of a sinking groundline requirement for all trap/pot both regulatory and non-regulatory programs in- whale density to serve as a guide in the identifi cation of fi sheries throughout the entire East coast. NMFS is ad- cluding: broad-based gear modifi cations, time-area these high risk areas. dressing the second principle, reducing entanglement risks closures, disentanglement, research and outreach. NMFS wants public input on viable modifi cations to associated with vertical lines in commercial trap/pot and fi shing practices that will reduce the risk of entanglements However, despite these efforts there have been con- gillnet gear, in this current process. in vertical line. Options may consist of reduction in the tinued serious injuries and mortalities of large whales In 2009, the ALWTRT agreed on a schedule to devel- number of endlines, gear modifi cations, changes in fi shing from entanglements in vertical lines from commer- op conservation measures for reducing the risk of serious seasons and trawling up gear (e.g., increasing the number cial trap/pot and gillnet fi shing gear. Therefore, ad- injury and mortality of large whales that become entan- of traps per trawl to reduce the number of endlines). At ditional modifi cations to the ALWTRP are needed. gled in vertical lines. As provided in the schedule, NMFS this point there is no specifi c number of lines or percent- At its 2003 meeting, by consensus, the ALWTR team committed to publishing a fi nal rule to address vertical age of lines targeted for reductions. agreed to two overarching principles associated with re- line entanglement by 2014. Unlike the broad-scale man- NMFS is looking for answers to the following ques- ducing large whale entanglement risks: reducing entangle- agement approach taken to address entanglement risks tions: 1) Where to manage? 2) When to manage? 3) How ment risks associated with groundlines (lines between associated with groundlines, the approach for the vertical to manage? 4) How can the current gear marking strategy trap/pots) in commercial trap/pot gear; and reducing en- line rulemaking will focus on reducing the risk of vertical improve? 5) How can gear characterization reporting im- tanglement risks associated with vertical lines (endlines or line entanglements in fi ner-scale high impact areas. Us- prove? buoy lines) in commercial trap/pot and gillnet gear. NMFS ing fi shing gear characterization data and whale sightings July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 17 Artist supports lobstermen Capturing a time and a port By Melissa Waterman By Annie Tselikis
ndrew Cook exudes energy. The 36-year-old father of two bounces from topic ark Marchesi is obsessed with the fi shing industry. Following his gradua- Ato topic at a rapid clip, slowing down to emphasize those things he considers Mtion from the Maine College of Art in 1999, Marchesi went down to the important. “I’ve been an artist all my life,” he said in a recent interview. “This is a way Portland waterfront every day looking for crew spots until he found a position for me to give something back.” working at Nancy’s Shellfi sh on Holyoke Wharf. That experience of buying, sell- Cook was referring to “Lobstering is an Art,” his collection of original art inspired ing, and grading lobsters, selling bait, and processing crab led to his eventual job by lobstering. Cook has created a dizzying array of lobster designs using a multitude as a sternman for Earhart Griffi n. of mediums and plans to donate a percentage of his yearly profi ts to the Maine Lob- In 2007, Marchesi began working on “Slack Water,” a project documenting the stermen’s Association. “We just received $150 from Andy in support of MLA’s Relief changing face of Portland’s working waterfront. “My favorite part of shooting any Fund,” said MLA executive director Patrice McCarron. “It’s a wonderful gesture from project is getting the single image that is really spectacular,” he explained. It was a talented artist.” an image of F/V Bethany Jean that he said allowed the rest of the collection to Taking the lobster as his artistic muse wasn’t always in Cook’s mind. In 2005 he fall into place. The graduated from the Maine College of Art vessel sits between (MECA) in Portland with a degree in graphic a clear shoreline on design and took a job with a marketing agency a fl at calm morning in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There he re- in Portland Harbor mained until April of this year, creating bro- while a fog bank chures, posters and other materials for clients. rests just behind in “Then a couple of years ago I was very the Fore River. stressed out with work. I ended up getting What is most shingles and lay in bed for a week,” Cook ex- striking about plained. “I had a lot of time to think: Am I Marchesi’s photo- on the right road? Is this what I really want to graphs is their hon- be doing?” He realized that he needed a better est portrayal of the means of expressing his creativity than his full- commercial fi shing time job provided. So in January 2009, “Lob- industry as it exists stering is an Art” was born. in Portland today. Mark Marchesi photo: FV Meridian, Wrights Wharf His inspiration came from his uncle, Willy Marchesi said that Hickcock, who lobsters from Long Island in a lot of the inspiration for this work came from looking at historic photographs. Casco Bay. “My family has had houses out “I loved that 90% of the photographs that we look at from 150 to 200 years ago there since the 1850s,” Cook said. “I went out Celtic Lobster by Andrew Cook. are anonymous, but it’s what we look at now as a point of reference. I’m making every year in the summertime.” After the economic crash in the fall of 2008, Hick- a historic record of this period,” he explained. cock talked to Cook about the fi nancial diffi culties facing lobstermen. It didn’t take While many of the images are tight shots of fi shing vessels, wharves, or sho- long for Cook to realize that he wanted to contribute something to the Maine lobster- reside operations, “Commercial Street,” taken from the intersection at Union ing community and that the something would come from his artistic talent. Wharf provides the sort of wide angle vantage point that is reminiscent of im-
Continued on page 21 Continued on page 20
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For details and a price quote, please contact Stewart Tuttle at 207-885-8082. www.miltoncat.com 18 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 Changing times for two lobster dealers By Emily Elliott the days of natural lobster pounds. Lobstermen are also more likely to sell their own lobsters now, a practice that Bill he business landscape for lob- thinks is detrimental. “This brings down the market price for everyone. The lobsters Tster dealers in southern Maine are sold for little over boat price,” Bill said. “It makes it diffi cult for someone with a has been steadily changing. The substantial piece of property to compete.” Individual sales make it diffi cult for fi sh- array of products offered, sources ermen’s cooperatives too. Bill said that if a lobsterman has a couple hundred pounds of products, how they ship it, even of lobsters, often he will keep the best fi fty pounds to sell at his house and take the where they ship the lobsters has lesser quality product to the cooperative to sell. changed markedly from decades To keep ahead, Bayley’s has diversifi ed its product line. Bill has moved away from past. Two men -- one in Scarbor- selling only lobsters and started selling more fi sh. Over the years the company has ough and one in Kennebunkport added a retail side to the business as well. Now Bayley’s revenues are split 50/50 -- have made constant changes between wholesale and retail sales. in their respective companies to maintain market share. In 1915 Steve Bayley started “Th ose were days where it was a lot of work, but Bayley’s Lobster Pound at Pine it was still fun. We were operating on nickels and Point in Scarborough. He shipped Bill Bayley and customer at Bayley’s Lobster Pound. the lobsters that he and his four Photo by Emily Elliott. dimes,” Sonny Hutchins said. “My fi rst year here sons caught to his customers in I made $600. It covered the bills and I turned a wooden barrels on the daily train. Steve’s grandson, Bill Bayley, now owns the busi- ness with his daughter and son-in-law. Bayley’s employs 20 people in full, part-time, small profi t. Th e fi rst truck I bought cost $600. and seasonal positions. “We’ve been doing same thing for 55 or 60 years,” Bill said. “We’ve had to rebuild once or twice.” Bill started helping his grandfather when he was a child. He’s been involved in the State monitoring and regulations also have increased over the years. Bill said the company 60 years, minus four years he spent in the Navy. Bill bought the business in state now requires a weekly report of how much product is taken in and sold at the 1966 from his grandfather in partnership with his parents. “As a boy I started pack- business. On the fi rst day Bayley’s was open this past April, a Department of Marine ing lobsters for shipping, cleaning tanks, grading lobsters, anything that had to be Resources Marine Patrol warden came in and inspected seven crates, all the live lob- done,” he explained. “Until I was old enough to drive, then I could go to the dump ster on hand. The warden was very thorough. “He ran his thumbnail across each tail and make deliveries over to Old Orchard.” looking for V notches and setal hair, looking for mutilation,” Bill explained. One of the changes Bill has seen in his business is the way dealers keep lobsters. Port Lobster Company in Kennebunkport is owned by Sonny Hutchins and his The key to storing lobsters today is having refrigerated, aerated, fi ltered water fl ow- daughter. Like Bill, Sonny also bought ing through the storage tanks, according to Bill. That is an added expense absent in his business from a relative, in this case his uncle in 1953. In the late 1960s, he tore down the original Port Lobster $%&'()* S$&,)-&, *,& Company building, which was built )-%, *, $,*)& on pilings and ready to fall in the river, and erected the current building. &))$%.)- /)-&, *)),& Back then, the busy season ran from the Fourth of July to Labor Day. $%)-&, & Now there is a longer tourist season &))$%( -$*, and the fall is better than the spring, according to Sonny. “Those were days where it was a lot of work, but it was Sonny Hutchins remembers when it was a lot of work still fun. We were operating on nickels but still fun. Photo by Emily Elliott. S and dimes,” he said. “My fi rst year here I made $600. It covered the bills and I turned a small profi t. The fi rst truck I bought cost $600. The same truck today costs $25,000 or more.” Port Lobster Co. originally sold both wholesale and retail product, but only lobsters. Other types of seafood were added in just the past few years. “I should have gotten into selling other types of fi sh 40 years ago but I didn’t,” Sonny noted. “When I started there was one other company in town and all they sold was fi sh. As -$$$,))- *,'-$ -,35$-)- - the other dealer expanded his product line to include lobsters, we started selling a little bit of fi sh.” 0V`QJ Q`R:$VQ`@JH First Port Lobster Co. started selling clams, then other shellfi sh, and then other 0V`QJ Q`R:$VQ`@JHQ`]Q`: VR]VH1:C1 ost people have good intentions about saving for retirement. But studies tell us that a remarkably small percentage Mof them put those good intentions to work. Does this sound like you? For many people, saving for retirement takes a back seat to just keeping up with the day-to-day expenses of daily living. Retirement, especially if it’s “out there” 20 years from now, becomes something we promise ourselves we’ll deal with down the road when we have more time and money. But is that really a good idea? Let’s look at two business owners, Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones. They are equal partners in a manufacturing business. Both are 45 years old and both plan to retire at age 65. Their fi nan- cial advisor has suggested that they increase the amount of money they are saving each month if they want to be able to maintain their lifestyle during retirement. Both agree with their advisor’s recommendation and agree to begin saving more, but each takes a different approach. Mr. Smith begins saving $275 a month immediately, and he does so for a 10-year period. Mr. Jones on the other hand, waits 10 years before starting his savings plan, and then he saves $275 a month for 10 years. Both earn 8 percent on their investments. It is now 20 years later. Both owners have put away a total of $33,000. Mr. Jones, the procrastinator, will have earned $14,804 in interest for a total of $47,805 in savings. Mr. Smith, the early starter, will have earned over $70,000 in interest for Chandler Jones is an associate at Living Wealth Partners a total of 103,208. That’s more than twice what Mr. Jones will have available for retirement, with the same initial investment. in Portland, Maine. (This example does not consider infl ation or taxes and does not represent any particular investment vehicle.) This example makes a strong case. Not only does it pay to save, but also if you start sooner, you can take advantage of the power of compounding. This is a good example of letting your money work for you. If you have trouble saving money on a regular basis, there are a number of savings strategies you can try that essentially “force” you to set aside money. Examples of forced savings strategies include whole life insurance, which in addition to providing valuable survivorship protection for your family or business, builds cash values that grow tax deferred; employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k) plans or Simplifi ed Employee Pension Plans (SEPs); and direct payroll deductions or automatic bank drafts into life insurance or annuities. These investments allow you to take your savings out of your paycheck as an expense, essentially paying yourself before you pay your creditors. If you have been putting off saving for retirement until “down the road” or “when there’s enough time to think about it,” do yourself and your loved ones a favor: Take the time today. When the time comes for retirement, you’ll be very glad you did. Living Wealth Partners is a Registered Representative of securities and investment advisory services offered through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. (HTK) Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. HTK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Penn Mutual . Living Wealth Partners, LLC is independent of HTK. Lobster Settlement Index 2010 &''(( Compiled by Richard Wahle, University of Maine Darling Marine Center Time trends for the 11 regions with the longest time series point to diverging patterns from north to south. Lobster nurseries south of Cape Cod have continued their distressing, almost decade-long, decline. In Rhode Island and Buzzards Bay over the past few years, young-of-year lobsters have barely been de- tected. Commercial landings and other abundance indices have followed suit, leading fi sheries managers to ponder the unprecedented prospect of a moratorium on southern New England lobster fi shing. While regions in the middle ground, between Massachusetts Bay and mid-coast Maine, have generally fl uctuated without much trend, eastern Maine and the lower Bay of Fundy have seen a decade of increas- ingly populated nurseries, with especially strong settlement years between 2005 and 2008. In the past few years, however, settlement has fallen off between Mt. Desert and New Brunswick. By all accounts, the growing lobster population in eastern Maine over the past decade has largely fueled the continued surge in Maine’s catch; 2010 was another historic landings record. We will keep an eye on whether fi shery recruit- ment in the region begins to dip in the coming years. Meanwhile, the number of sites and re- gions sampled by diver-based suction sam- pling and passive collectors has expanded. In 2010, new monitoring sites were estab- lished in the Bay of Fundy, Passamaquoddy Bay and Massachusetts Bay, providing great- er coverage as well as fi ner spatial resolution of settlement patterns in these regions. ince 1954, working to sus- Stain and advance the Maine lobstering industry, its tradi- Garbo depends on the hard work and stewardship of Maine lobstermen. tions and way of life. 21 Western Ave #1 Thank you ! Kennebunkport, ME 04043 # # 207-967-4555 # !"!# $% 20 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 What is permit banking? Guest Column By Nancy Carter, Vice-president of Knowledge Management, Island Institute magine standing on the dock, ready to head out. Your traps are loaded and the coolers are full of bait, but you can’t fi sh. It’s not because there aren’t any lobsters; in Ifact, the season is off to a great start. It’s because out-of-state harvesters have bought up the all the licenses. All you can do is watch helplessly as people with little vested interest in your local fi shing communities take away your means of earning a living and protecting the resource. Sound like a bad dream? Well, for many of Maine’s groundfi shermen, it’s one they are living. The shift from the “days at sea” model of fi sheries management to science-driven “sector” management means that fi shermen’s permits – based on days at sea and/or catch history – give them the right to catch a certain amount of each groundfi sh species (cod, haddock, fl ounder, etc.). They can join local or regional sectors and work together to ensure a fair allocation based on each member’s quota. It’s a new system, and one with a lot of promise, but it does mean that fi shing permits, and the associated allocation of fi sh, are now being bought and sold like commodities. Anyone can purchase permits, regardless of any fi shing history, and as permits are bought up by those fi shing from southern New England where there are more fi sh, Maine fi shermen could lose access to fi sh in Maine waters. This has already started to happen, which brings us to permit banking. A permit bank is a way of buying, holding and leasing fi shing permits so that they benefi t local fi shermen and help conserve fi sh stocks. The Island Institute, the Maine chapter of The Nature Conservancy and Penobscot East Resource Center are all working to establish permit banks to buy Maine groundfi shing permits and lease them back to local fi shermen. The goals of this effort are to ensure long-term access for local fi shing communities, encourage the transition to more sustainable fi shing practices, support collaborative research projects, help rebuild depleted groundfi sh populations and restore ecosystem resilience. Permits bought and “banked” to date have been used primarily for research. The Island Institute and The Nature Conservancy are pursuing collaborative gear research with the Midcoast Fishermen’s Association, Downeast Diesel & Marine, Inc. members of the Port Clyde Community Groundfi sh Sector and marine scientists from the Gulf of Maine !" #$ % Research Institute. Last summer, they experimented with changes to the codend (netting bag) of the trawl &"'()*" + $, !)-. nets – replacing 6 ½” diamond mesh with 7” square mesh – to see what effect it would have on the amount of bycatch. Preliminary results indicated that the larger square mesh allowed 17% more non-targeted species and juvenile fi sh to escape than the standard 6 ½” diamond mesh. More research is planned for this sum- /0 1,/02//33,/ 040 mer. Further to the east, Penobscot East Resource Center is pursuing a sentinel fi shery program to target groundfi sh with hook gear. Over the long term, the intention is for this collaborative research to gather data on distribution and abundance of groundfi sh species, and also to develop gear confi gurations and fi shing practices that reduce bycatch and impacts on sensitive marine habitats. Seacoast Lobster Band The state of Maine has also gotten involved in permit-banking and established a $2 million pilot mul- Company tispecies permit bank program last year. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing the funding in the form of a federal grant award to the Maine Department of Ma- PO Box 1472 rine Resources to create a bank of Northeast multispecies fi shing vessel permits. The pilot project’s goals Manchester, MA 01944 include securing continued access to fi shery resources for Maine’s small-scale fi shermen and lessening the Plain and printed lobster bands effects of fi shing-effort consolidation on our small fi shing com- Telephone 1-800-830-1856 munities. Through this pilot program, NOAA hopes to create Cell 978-317-5154 a model that could be used to expand permit-banking to other states and regions. The ultimate goal of permit-banking is to avoid a nightmare Tailored financing scenario for Maine groundfi shermen by ensuring continued ac- specifically for cess to the fi sh, research better ways to conserve fi sh stocks and lessen the environmental impacts of fi shing on the ocean bottom. your marine needs. With the potential to protect Maine’s traditional marine resource- New Boat Construction based heritage for the next generation, permit-banking could be a Used Boat Loans Traps & Gear Loans “savings” account in the truest sense of the word. Refinancing & Repowering A Katahdin Trust Company Affiliate Contact Jim Amabile 15 Pleasant Hill Road Marchesi continued from page 17 1-800-974-9995 Scarborough, Maine 04074 ages one would fi nd in historic archives. Looking east down Commercial Street at dawn, this image captures store fronts yet to open to their customers and reminds the viewer that the Portland waterfront must contend with non-marine commerce. It shows us that Portland and Maine are changing. Marchesi’s portrait images document this change. In these photographs, one notices the ethnic and cul- tural diversity that exists along Portland’s waterfront. To a certain extent, this diversity has always been true as sardine packing plants, cold storage, and other shore facilities in the 1950s provided employ- ment for Polish, Irish, Italian and Greek immi- grants. “Today southeast Asian and Hispanic employees keep the processing sector moving on the waterfront,” Marchesi said. He added that the man documented in the photograph “Urchin Picker, Maine Wharf ” was his co- worker while he worked at Nancy’s Shellfi sh in 1999. The thirty images in “Slack Water” were 65 years, three generations, narrowed from a cast of some four hundred one purpose: shot. Marchesi envisions this body of work as part of a much bigger project document- the best automotive and tire ing other parts of the Portland waterfront like service possible. the International Marine Terminal, the former home of the Scotia Prince, as well as other Eastern Tire & Auto Service major ports like Port Clyde, Stonington, and 70 Park St., Rockland Eastport. “I didn’t really stop shooting, and I don’t feel like I’m done yet,” he said. “Slack www.easterntireinc.com - 594-5250 Water” had its fi rst showing at SPACE Gal- lery in Portland during the month of May. The images can be viewed at www.markmarchesi.com. July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 21 Meeting Roundup continued from page 15 commercial fi shermen. A bill to reorganize the MLPC Board was held over for dis- Zone D met on May 23. Members reported seeing a high incidence of shell cussion in the next session. MLA discussed potential nominations to fi ll the vacant disease this year than at this time in the past. Members also did not like the names seats on the MLPC board which included Jim Dow for the eastern Maine harvester suggested for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and instead, made a motion seat, John Petersdorf for the midcoast dealer seat, Peter Miller for the midcoast har- to dissolve the Council entirely. The motion passed with two members abstaining. vester seat and Patrice McCarron for the southern Maine public seat. Zone B meet on May 24 with Carl Wilson (DMR) attending. Discussion focused Heather Tetreault gave a brief presentation on the MLA’s work to map how, on the entry to exit ratio. Members noted that the number of tags in the area was still when and where Maine lobstermen fi sh along the coast of Maine to feed into the going up. Two licenses were granted off the waiting list this year. Motion was made new whale plan. There are still a few harbors which need to provide data and MLA to oppose any processing of oversized lobsters in the state. Motion passed with one will fi ll them in this month. The directors gave feedback on a draft survey to docu- vote opposed. Motion was made to leave the ratio (5:1) as it is. Motion passed with ment changes in rope use over time. 6 in favor, two opposed. The MLA will meet with Governor LePage in July to discuss the industry’s priori- Zone A met on May 25. Members commented that the catch is down for this ties such as prohibiting the landing of dragger-caught lobster, concerns over lobster time of year, despite a lot of effort. Motion was made to adopt the referendum re- license transfer, and the issue of maintaining opportunities for young people in sults on having a maximum of four traps on a trawl in certain districts of the zone fi sheries. The MLA will meet again on July 19 at 5 p.m. at Darby’s. and continue on to rulemaking. Motion passed with one vote against. May zone council meetings Zone E met on May 26 with Carl Wilson attending. Meeting focused on the upcoming vertical line meetings, legislative updates and nominations for the Maine Zones A, B, D, E, F and G met during the month of May. At each meeting, Lobster Promotion Council seats. members were apprised of the status of any lobster-related bills before the Legis- lature, the upcoming DMR vertical line scoping meetings taking place in June, and Zone G met on May 31. Members noted that they have seen a lot of shell disease the names suggested to fi ll empty seats on the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. in lobsters of all sizes. There was discussion of the owner-operator law, the entry- exit ratio for the zone, and the number of tags allowed for transfers into the zone. DMR Commissioner Olsen attended the Zone F meeting on May 3. The princi- pal topic of discussion during the meeting was the island limited entry proposals for Chebeague and Cliff Islands. Lobster art continued from page 17 “I have a hundred designs on the Web site now and I probably have a hundred more in my head,” Cook said enthusiasti- cally. After leaving his graphic design posi- E tion in April, he has put many hours into his creations. “My aim is to make clean, crisp, high-end art. Marketability is the key. I want to reach as many tastes as possible,” Cook said. His designs range from the fanciful (a black and white lobster arranged as a Celtic knot) to the colorful (a lobster comprised of painted buoys). Some are made of cut pa- per, some are simple pen and inks, others are watercolors. He has even designed a lobster made entirely of sea glass. “I’m in a few retail stores now and will be !"$ showing at art festivals all summer,” Cook $ "%%$& said. He plans a line of gift cards and matted " '%% ( ") prints to go with his original works. Making art and expressing his affi nity with the life of ) his uncle makes Cook extremely happy. “And ! "! Uncle Willy....he loves it!,” Cook added. * *$" '%% % ) + Our new Rope Shield is a simple device that pre- vents trap lines from entering the cutlass bear- ing and crippling the propulsion of the vessel. During the last 20 years there have been little or no changes to the design of underwater marine hardware and that, according to company owner R.E. Thomas Inc. acquired the Waterline under- water marine hardware line in 2004 and Ron, a skilled machinist for 40 years, began to design - ucts destined to provide greater safety and ef- “R.E. Thomas products have integrity.” Also offering Zincs, Couplings, PYI Seals, Shafts, Shaft Tubes, Cutless Bearings, Duramax Packing. Black and White Lobster by Andrew Cook. www.rethomasmarinehardware.com 22 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 In the News Bluefi n tuna not an endangered species Hamilton Marine expands commercial fi shing space in Portland The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced in May that Atlantic bluefi n tuna do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA is formally designating both the western Atlan- In an effort to provide a one-stop shopping experience, Hamilton Marine’s Port- tic and eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks of bluefi n tuna as “species of land store has redesigned its warehouse and created a fi shing superstore catering di- concern” under the Act. This places the species on a watchlist for concerns about rectly to commercial fi shermen. its status and threats to the species. “We’ve torn out an entire wall and turned our warehouse into retail space exclu- NOAA has committed to revisit its decision in two years, when more informa- sively for our commercial customers,” said Evan Kohls, commercial fi shing manager. tion will be available about the effects of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill, as “Instead of having a few coils of pot warp and a few buoys on display, we can now well as a new stock assessment from the scientifi c arm of the International Com- offer our entire stock of pot warp and cases of buoys for fi shermen to choose from mission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). along with the rest of our commercial inventory.” The Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profi t group which had fi led the “With the Portland stores expansion, I feel like we’ve provided a location where original petition to NOAA to get bluefi n tuna listed as an endangered speices, no- fi shermen can fi nd everything they need in one space and feel free to hang around tifi ed the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that it intends to sue NMFS and talk with other fi shermen,” said company founder Wayne Hamilton. Hamilton for failing to protect Atlantic bluefi n tuna under the ESA. According to the Cen- Marine’s Portland store is located at 100 Fore St. in downtown Portland. ter for Biological Diversity, bluefi n tuna continue to face extinction due to severe overfi shing and habitat degradation, including the BP oil spill in the gulf last spring and summer. Kennebec River dredging still on track for Filet-o-Fish goes sustainable in Europe August McDonald’s announced in June that it will use Marine Stewardship Council-cer- tifi ed Alaskan pollack from Alaska, New Zealand hoki and Baltic cod beginning in Governor Paul LePage signed the emergency legislation in June to allow the October for all Filet-o-Fish sandwiches served in its 7,000 European outlets. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Kennebec River and dump the company will put the MSC logo on cartons, promoting the best-known scheme for materials offshore near Popham Beach in early June. The law took effect imme- preserving fi sh stocks. diately. It will allow dredging of the river in early August, during the height of McDonald’s, which sold about 100 million Filet-O-Fish portions in 39 countries the tourist season and commercial fi shing along the Kennebec. The Corps says in Europe last year, said it would not be increasing the prices on fi sh products due to the river’s navigation channel must be dredged to allow the Navy destroyer USS the use of sustainable fi sh species. Another huge U.S. company, Wal-Mart, previously Spruance to leave Bath Iron Works safely on September 1. announced in March that all fresh and frozen seafood sold in its stores will be certifi ed The legislation changes state water quality standards for that section of the by the Marine Stewardship Council or the Global Aquaculture Alliance as sustainable Kennebec. Prior to the emergency legislation, the water quality classifi cation products. The retailer will continue to buy seafood from uncertifi ed suppliers only if would not have permitted dredging. they have plans in place to achieve sustainability certifi cation by June 2012. Local fi shermen and Phippsburg offi cials say any dredging should have been done last winter, not in August. The dredge permit from the Department of Environmental Protection would allow the Corps to dredge and dump 50,000 DMR continued from page 16 cubic yards of spoils in the river at the Kennebec Narrows and 20,000 cubic that it was time to “tell them no.” Many lobstermen expressed concern over providing yards near-shore at Jackknife Ledge. The ledge is prime lobster habitat and is the additional data to NMFS for fear it would be used against the industry. Much discus- historic fi shing grounds for the Small Point lobstermen. An appeal has been fi led sion focused on the potential downside of saying “no” which could include NMFS with the state Board of Environmental Protection by the town of Phippsburg, its not permitting the fi shery or NMFS putting its own version of whales rules in place. commercial clam harvesters, the Phippsburg Land Trust, the Kennebec Estuary Lobstermen reviewed the co-occurrence charts and raised many questions on the data Land Trust and the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay. used to generate the charts and the accuracy of the results. DMR stated that Zones A and B could remove a signifi cant amount of rope from the water if triples were required in federal waters. During the Rockland meeting, lobstermen expressed concern and confusion over the absence of management proposals in the NMFS scoping document. They said that it is extremely diffi cult to generate risk reduction proposals in the absence of knowing what the federal govern- ment is looking for. Despite this frus- tration, most lobstermen supported the News & Comment for and by the Fishermen of Maine concept of marking gear on a zone-by- zone basis, though a few were not com- The Fishermen’s Voice fortable with this approach. There was SUBSCRIBE TODAY! signifi cant concern expressed by lobster- From the Canadian Maritimes, men over the number of latent licenses, We Like To Hear From You! All along the Maine Coast, though most agreed this is less of an is- sue in federal waters. Lobstermen sup- $ and in ports south to Cape Cod - To subscribe send check or money order for 18.* along ported the idea of requiring a minimum with the information below to: Fishermen’s Voice trawling up to triples in federal waters. P.O. Box 253 , Gouldsboro, ME 04607 IT’S WHAT The concept of endline caps was dis- $ *Canadian subscriptions are 23 U.S. dollars FISHERMEN READ! cussed as a means to limit the amount of Name ______rope in the water while allowing lobster- Address______men fl exibility to set gear in any confi gu- ration. City ______207-963-7195 DMR will continue to solicit ideas State, Zip______and feedback from the Maine lobster MLA 05/10 Send letters, news, stories to: industry through the upcoming NMFS Join us in Supporting the Tradition of Making One’s Living P.O. Box 253 Gouldsboro, ME 04607 Scoping meetings. Ultimately, the agency from the Sea by Advertising in the Fishermen’s Voice. We have Email: [email protected] will draft a plan and then may hold re- one of the best circulations among the industry’s newspapers, 8,000 copies gional meetings to get additional indus- Website: distributed from Kittery to Eastport and 2,000 copies to the major fishing try feedback before submitting the pro- ports in Massachusetts, and our advertising rates are very reasonable. www.fishermensvoice.com posal to NMFS. July 2011 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION 23 Events Calendar July 2 Jonesport Lobster Boat Races July 14 NMFS Atlantic Large Take Whale Reduction Plan meet- July 24 July 9 ing, 6 p.m., Portland City Hall, State of Maine Room. Harpswell Lobster Boat Races Searsport Lobster Boat Races DMR rulemaking hearings for urchins, scallops, lobster, groundfi sh and seaweed aquaculture, 6 p.m., Ellsworth Upcoming July 10 City Hall Stonington Lobster Boat Races August 1-4 July 15 ASMFC meeting, Alexandria, Virginia July 11 Yarmouth clam Festival DMR rulemaking hearings for urchins, scallops, lobster, August 3-7 groundfi sh and seaweed aquaculture, 6 p.m., Yarmouth July 17 Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland Town Hall Fishermen’s Family Fun Day Stonington August 12 NMFS Atlantic Large Take Whale Reduction Plan meet- July 19 Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Festival, Rockland ing, 6 p.m., Washington Academy, East Machias MLA Directors’ meeting, 5 p.m., Darby’s Restaurant, Belfast. August 13 July 12 Winter Harbor Lobster Festival and Lobster Boat Races NMFS Atlantic Large Take Whale Reduction Plan meet- July 20 ing, 6 p.m., Ellsworth City Hall Lobster Advisory Council meeting, 5 p.m., Hallowell. August 14 Tentative, confi rm with DMR. Pemaquid Lobster Boat Races July 13 NMFS Atlantic Large Take Whale Reduction Plan meet- July 23 August 21 ing, 6 p.m., Rockland District High School auditorium. Friendship Lobster Boat Races Portland Lobster Board races Classifi eds Props for sale: 30 x 28 Nibral, 4 blade, Left Hand, Cup, 2 1/2” shaft, Michigan Dyna Quad, Made in USA. Excellent condition. $750 28 x 25 Nibral, 3 blade, 2” shaft, Right Hand, Cup, Michigan, Excellent condition. $550 30 x 28 Nibral, 4 blade, Right Hand, Cup, 2 1/2” Shaft, Michigan Dyna Quad, Excellent Condition. $750 22 x 24 Nibral, HyTorq, Made in Canada, Slight cup, 1 3/4” shaft, Left hand, 4 blade. Like new, ready to put on boat! $750. Contact: Eric, Plante’s Lobster Vents, 207-549-7204. Position wanted: Experienced boathand wants to apprentice in zone C or B. Any information greatly appreciated. E-mail Jesse at [email protected] or call 207- 669-5900. Dealers continued from page 18 businesses. When air shipping became available, lobsters could be shipped to cus- tomers far beyond New England and New York. Not only could live lobsters be sent all over the country, they could be shipped overseas to Europe and the Far East. “When I started, everything went to Boston on the railroad. Now I haven’t been to Boston in 30 years,” said Sonny. “Air shipping completely changed the business. The product goes straight from our door to the customers’ door.” Unfortunately, Port Lobster Company’s customer base has been reduced by half, compared to the 1970s and 1980s. The restaurants that bought lobster and fi sh from Sonny over the years now receive product from out-of-state seafood dealers. Sonny worries about what will happen to the smaller seafood dealers with bigger companies moving into the state. He is concerned that such companies will force locally-owned seafood purveyors out of business. “The pie is getting thinner all the time. My fi rst year here, I paid 28 cents per pound for lobsters and had them hauled to Boston for a nickel,” Sonny said. “Now the boat price of hard shell lobsters is $5.50 per pound, but fuel prices are much higher than they were.” Maine Landings wants YOU! That’s right. Our new Web site, www.mainelandings.org, wants aspiring writers, photographers, videographers and just plain creative people to contribute their views of Maine’s lob- stering world to the site. Check out www.mainelandings.org to read and see what’s cooking along the coast. For more information or to contribute ma- terial, contact Melissa Waterman at 691- 2330, or email melissa@mainelobstermen. org. 24 MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION July 2011 Photographs from the Penobscot Marine Museum collections Hoop net, fi rst trap employed in catching lobsters. A fi sherman shows off an obsolete hoop net to photojournalist Alfred El- Port Clyde, Lobster Port den. These traps date to the days when Docks and stored lobster traps in Port Clyde when most of the port was working waterfront. you could put some bait in the middle Then lobster boats were small; many like the one here just had a canvas shelter. Published July of a net, then haul it hours later catch- 1959. Atlantic Fisherman Collection LB1992.301.317 ing the lobsters that had crawled to the bait. Atlantic Fisherman Collection LB1995.72 Proud Sponsor of the MLA Newsletter Buying and delivering only the best since 1980. Thank you Maine Lobstermen for your outstanding stewardship of the lobster resource. • Fresh lobster • Frozen lobster Cozy Harbor Seafood, Inc. • Maine shrimp John Norton, President and CEO • Fresh fi sh PO Box 389, Portland, ME 04112 800-225-2586 • www.cozyharbor.com