Saving Seafood

Maine lawmakers consider legal fund for lobster industry ahead of new whale protections

February 10, 2022 — Maine lawmakers are considering establishing a legal defense fund for the lobster fishing industry to help them navigate upcoming regulations meant to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.  

Republican state representative and lobsterman William Faulkingham proposed the measure, which would establish the fund — supported by license surcharges and lobster trap tag sales — and form a commission to govern it, The Associated Press reported. In a public hearing Tuesday, Faulkingham said the industry is facing “crippling regulations and industry collapsing lawsuits.”

Read the full story at The Hill

 

Maine delegation, lobstermen ask feds to postpone whale protection rules, citing rope shortage

February 9, 2022 — Maine lobstermen say there’s a critical shortage of specialized trap-gear they need to comply with new federal whale protection rules that go into effect this spring. The industry and Maine political leaders are asking the feds to postpone the deadline by two months. But some gear-makers and suppliers say they can make it available, if only someone would order it.

As of May 1, the new federal rules will require lobstermen to use rope that’s weak enough to allow endangered North Atlantic right whales to break through it without danger of deadly entanglements. Alternatively, lobstermen can install weak links in their existing traplines to achieve the same result.

“At this point, the beginning of February, I don’t have access to any type of equipment to modify my gear,” says Friendship lobsterman Dustin Delano, the vice president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. He says he’s been looking for gear that would make sense for his boat and his 800 lobster traps — but so far, no luck. And he’s anxious to get going on the time-consuming task of hauling and converting his gear.

“There’s a few options that exist but you can’t get that equipment,” he says. “I’ve looked into it myself, there isn’t enough, it doesn’t exist. So we can be told we need to comply by May 1, but if I can’t buy the stuff what am I supposed to do?”

Gov. Janet Mills and Maine’s Congressional delegation recently sent a joint letter to the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, asking to delay the gear-conversion deadline until July 1.

“That would save the industry more than $7 million in lost fishing time, and we believe it would have no or negligible impact on risk reduction,” says Sen. Susan Collins.

Read the full story at WBUR

ASMFC American Lobster Management Board to Meet February 22 to Consider Final Action on Draft Addendum XXIX: Electronic Vessel Tracking in the Federal American Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries

February 2, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board will meet via webinar on February 22nd from 1 – 3:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to review submitted public comment on Draft Addendum XXIX: Electronic Vessel Tracking in the Federal American Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries and consider final approval of the Addendum. The Draft Agenda is available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/AmLobsterBoardFeb2022/AmLobsterBoardAgenda_Feb2022.pdf .Meeting materials will be posted to http://www.asmfc.org/calendar/2/2022/American-Lobster-Management-Board-/1886 by February 8th.

To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2930590334961190923 (Webinar ID 845-804-555). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN as well as how to navigate the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 538-513-755.

The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the Board’s deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  The Board will provide the public the opportunity to bring matters of concern to the Board’s attention at the start of the meeting. The Board Chair will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the Board Chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action)

· Comments received by 5 PM on Monday, February 15 will be included in the supplemental materials.

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior FMP Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.

 

Maine lawmakers pitch relief fund for lobstermen

February 2, 2022 — Maine lawmakers are pitching a plan to buoy commercial fishermen whose livelihoods could be impacted by pending new federal regulations.

A proposal heard Tuesday by the Legislature’s Committee on Marine Resources would require the state government to create a new $30 million fund “to mitigate negative financial impacts experienced by individuals and businesses involved in the state’s fixed-gear fishing industry.”

The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Holly Stover, D-Boothbay, told the panel that the federal restriction “challenges the viability, sustainability and future of Maine’s fixed gear fishing industry.”

“The long-term sustainability of Maine’s fixed gear fishing industry requires immediate action to mitigate the fiscal losses experienced by those who relied on offshore fishing as part of their livelihood,” Stover said in testimony. “We need to create some level of certainty and relief for the people who work and support our coastal communities.”

The new regulations, which are aimed at protecting critically endangered north Atlantic right whales, will require fishermen to make gear modifications to reduce the number of vertical lines in the water and will set a 950-square-mile section of the Gulf of Maine that will be off-limits to traditional lobstering during the lucrative winter months.

They will require buoyless or “ropeless” fishing gear – a new and costly technology that brings lobster traps to the surface using wireless signals – in some locations.

Read the full story at The Center Square

 

Fishing industry, regulators back lobster fishing fund plan

February 1, 2022 — Members of Maine’s fishing industry and state regulators testified Tuesday in favor of the creation of a new $30 million fund to help lobster fishermen cope with new rules meant to protect whales.

Federal rules make an approximately 950-square-mile (2,460-square-kilometer) area of the Gulf of Maine essentially off limits to lobster fishing from October to January. A proposal from Democratic Rep. Holly Stover would create the fund to provide grants to lobstermen and other fishermen affected by the rules.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

 

Weak rope in short supply as deadline for whale-friendly gear draws near

January 28, 2022 — Lobstermen elsewhere in New England will have to join their Massachusetts counterparts in using weakened rope or special inserts to weaken existing trap rope beginning in May to help protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The rope and the in-line links, which must break under 1,700 pounds of pressure to help marine mammals break away if they become entangled, need to comply with rules mandated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The problem is the rope is short supply.

For Massachusetts fishermen, the required 3/8-inch red and white “candy cane” and 5/16-inch red weak rope manufactured by Rocky Mount Cordage Company in North Carolina, one of two rope makers approved by NOAA, is available only at Rose Marine in Gloucester for those north of Boston or through Ketchum Trap in New Bedford for those south of Boston.

“I know they’re out of stock in Maine, and I just filled an order for the 3/8 rope and sold out,” said Steve Germain of Rose Marine, 375 Main St., on Thursday. “I still have the 5/16 red rope, but the red and white is on back order.” He said he had no estimate on when new stock would arrive.

Lobstermen on Cape Ann and elsewhere in Massachusetts have been using the weakened rope for the past year and a half, said Beth Casoni of the Massachusetts Lobstermen Association.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Maine lobstermen could soon face another new gear regulation

January 26, 2022 — Lobstermen could soon face a new regulation that state officials say would be designed to protect future lobster populations. That comes as the industry is under pressure to comply with a slate of other recent rules that aim to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Maine’s lobster landings saw an unprecedented boom during the 2010s, but that’s dropped off some in recent years. And Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the state’s Department of Marine Resources, says recent research shows that the number of juvenile lobster floating in the water column or settling to the bottom is declining for a third year in a row.

“We’re starting to pick it up in ventless trap surveys,” Keliher says. “We’re picking it up in settlement. These are tough conversations, they are very tough to have at a time when we’re dealing with the whale issue.”

To protect right whales from entanglement in trap rope, federal regulators recently imposed a four-month closure of a thousand-square miles of prime fishing grounds off Maine to traditional lobster fishing, and they are requiring some potentially costly gear changes as well.

Now Keliher says that lobstermen should also consider another new rule — to create a “trigger” mechanism for reducing the catch of juvenile lobster when their abundance falls below a certain level.

Read the full story at Maine Public

MAINE: Critics ramp up pressure on Jonesport fish farm, but others voice their support

January 21, 2022 — Critics of a land-based fish farm proposal from Kingfish Maine are getting louder, hoping to convince the local planning board that allowing the company to build a facility off Route 187 would be a bad idea. But local supporters also are speaking out, and seem to outnumber the opponents.

About 60 people attended an informational meeting hosted Monday by the company at the Jonesport fire station. Some at the meeting questioned Megan Sorby, Kingfish’s operations manager, and said information released by Kingfish was misleading or inaccurate, but others in the audience voiced their support for the project.

The area has long been reliant on the lobster industry, but with concerns about the long-term viability of that fishery and a need to shore up the local economy, the land-based fish farm could be what’s needed to help.

When someone asked for a show of hands, only about a dozen people raised theirs to indicate they were against it. Roughly two-thirds of the people in the room then raised their hands to show they are in favor of it.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

 

ASMFC 2022 Winter Meeting Webinar Supplemental Materials Now Available

January 19, 2022 —  The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2022 Winter Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, all supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2022WinterMeeting/2022WinterMeetingSupplementalCombined.pdf.

Below is the list of documents included in the supplemental materials.

Revised Final Notice & Agenda

American Lobster Management Board – Draft Fishery Management Plan Review for Jonah Crab for 2020 Fishing Year

Tautog Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview

Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview; Technical Committee Memo on Summer Flounder & Black Sea Bass Methodology for Adjusting 2022 Recreational Measures; Public Comment

Spiny Dogfish Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview

Executive Committee – Revised Agenda and DraftAppeals Process Revisions

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Supplemental Report to the 2021 Revision to the ARM Framework; Public Comment

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Revised Agenda & Meeting Overview; Advisory Panel Comments on the Scope of New Options for Draft Amendment 7; Public Comment

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Plan Development Team Recommendations on Draft Addendum l to Amendment 3; Advisory Panel Feedback on Options to Include in Draft Addendum; Advisory Panel Nominations; Public Comment

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, January 25 at  10 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3:15 p.m.) on Thursday, January 27. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  Management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

Each day, the webinar will begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (415) 655-0600, access code 774-133-932. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN.

For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board  approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings.

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

1. Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of the meeting (January 10) will be included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 18 will be included in the supplemental materials.

3. Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, January 21 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Comments should be submitted via email at comments@asmfc.org. All comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.

 

Gulf of Maine waters warmed to highest fall temperatures on record

January 13, 2022 — The Gulf of Maine – which has been warming faster than 96 percent of the world’s ocean areas – experienced its warmest fall surface water temperatures on record last year in what scientists tracking it call a “distinct regime shift” for the ecosystem.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland announced its findings Wednesday in its seasonal warming report, which showed average sea surface temperatures in the gulf hit 59.9 degrees, or more than 4 degrees above the long-term average.

Last fall’s figures exceeded even those in the infamous “Northwest Atlantic Ocean heat wave” of 2012, which triggered a two-year explosion in green crabs that devoured clams and eelgrass meadows and led to the starvation of puffin chicks. That warming cycle also triggered the early shedding of Maine lobsters, which fueled armed confrontations between Canadian lobstermen and truckers trying to carry the soft-shell boon to New Brunswick processing plants at the height of Canada’s own lobstering season.

Read the full story and listen to the audio at the Portland Press Herald