April 4, 2013 — A top federal fisheries official says the government has no plan to intervene in a dispute between Maine and the Passamaquoddy Tribe over the harvesting of elvers, even though the tribe has issued so many permits that it put Maine in violation of federal standards.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has been monitoring events in Maine and is working with the state to ensure that it remains in compliance with federal elver management plans, said Kate Taylor, senior fisheries management plan coordinator for the commission.
Taylor said she knows of only one instance in which the U.S. commerce secretary, who oversees the commission, has shut down a commercial fishery because it didn't meet the terms of a plan.
"It is not something that happens often," Taylor said. "The commission and member states do try to work together so that it does not get to that point."
On Thursday, the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Passamaquoddy Tribe said they were still working to resolve a conflict between the state's management authority and the tribe, which says it has sovereignty over harvesting by its members.
"The process is ongoing," said Fred Moore, the tribe's spokesman for fisheries matters. "The situation is delicate and has to be handled delicately. There are no new developments, but we are working very hard to find a peaceful solution."
Moore said tribal leaders and Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher spoke by telephone, and the two sides expect to meet again soon.