May 31, 2012 – BAR HARBOR, ME — Fishermen and fishing rights can play a critical role in restoring the health of the nation’s fisheries according to MacArthur-Award-winning fisherman and scientist Ted Ames.
Along with his wife, Robin Alden, the former commissioner of Maine’s Department of Marine Resources, the two will discuss what they call “a unique ecological and economic opportunity in the eastern Gulf of Maine.” The talk, “Bring Back the Cod!” is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gates Community Center at College of the Atlantic.
Ms. Alden and Mr. Ames co-founded Penobscot East Resource Center in Stonington to restore a diverse and healthy ecosystem to eastern Maine. They believe fishermen can fish the oceans forever. More than 20 years ago, groundfish – cod, haddock, pollock, hake, and flounder – disappeared in Down East Maine, from Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border, according to Alden and Ames. These species remain depleted despite healthier populations in other parts of the Gulf of Maine.
Although 3,000 people fish the waters in eastern Maine, not one fishes groundfish; those fishing rights are lost. This year, however, three events are converging to change that: dam removal on the Penobscot River, programs to regain fishing rights, and a special program offering fishermen the hope and skills to speak for the future of fishing. These, say Mr. Ames and Ms. Alden, are the building blocks of a resilient marine ecosystem and fishing economy.
Mr. Ames fished commercially for 28 years. He was vice-chairman of Maine Department of Marine Resources Hatchery Technology Committee, executive director of the Maine Gillnetters Association and director of Alden-Ames Lab, an environmental and water quality laboratory. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biochemistry from the University of Maine where he taught for 10 years.