March 11, 2015 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:
Lucas Lemoine, 33 of Swans Island, has been charged with multiple violations of marine resources laws after an investigation in the pre-dawn hours Monday by Marine Patrol Officers Jeff Turcotte and Brent Chasse and Specialist Sean Dow.
Lemoine has been charged with violating the law that prohibits dragging for scallops in an area with an underwater cable, dragging for scallops in a closed area, dragging for scallops at night, possession of undersized scallops, and operating without navigation lights.
Dragging in a cable area is a Class D crime and carries a minimum penalty of $500 and up to a year in jail. The area where Lemoine was apprehended was near Lopaus Point which is on the Southwest side of Mount Desert Island near the Town of Tremont.
At approximately 4:00 am Officers Turcotte and Chasse and Specialist Dow were patrolling in Blue Hill Bay in the vicinity of a power cable which runs from Lopaus Point and supplies electricity to Swans Island’s approximately 330 year round residents.
The Officers witnessed Lemoine leave Bass Harbor in the fishing vessel Foxy Lady and, without navigation lights begin to drag for scallops across the power cable. The area has also been closed to scalloping since the season started on December 1, 2014 as part of the Department of Marine Resources management of the fishery. They apprehended Lemoine at approximately 4:30 am and upon boarding his vessel discovered the undersized scallops.
“This investigation by Marine Patrol was the result of hard work by these officers acting on tips we received from industry,” said Sergeant Troy Dow who oversees the Officers involved. “This fishery is on the rebound because closures like the one in place in this area have allowed scallops to regenerate. The majority of harvesters want to see this successful effort continue so they are willing to work with us to bring violators to justice.”
Recently released data from the DMR show that Maine’s scallop fishery saw another year of increased landings and value in 2014 as it continues to rebuild from an all-time low of 33,000 pounds landed in 2005. Maine’s 438 active licensed draggers and divers landed an additional 78,335 meat pounds (without the shell) over 2013 for a total of 584,173 pounds. At $7,464,690, the value of the fishery increased by more than $1.8 million.
Sergeant Dow added that damaging the cable by dragging over it could have meant serious hardship for the island community. “This is the primary source of electricity for this island community,” said Dow. “It is a life line for those folks.”
Lemoine not only faces the fine and jail time for dragging over a power cable, but also the possible loss of his license. Fines for the other violations total over $2000.
The Maine Marine Patrol is a Bureau of the Maine Department of Marine Resource that provides law enforcement, search and rescue, public health, maritime security, and public safety services on Maine’s coastal and tidal waters. More information about the Maine Marine Patrol can be found online at http://www.maine.gov/dmr/bmp/homepage.html.