Saving Seafood

More than 2,000 Maine fishermen to get coronavirus aid by Jan. 1

December 9, 2020 — More than 2,000 Maine fishermen are expected to receive federal coronavirus aid before the end of the year, the state’s top fisheries officials said Tuesday.

The state received 2,700 applications for the aid, which will total $19 million, Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said. Some 2,100 will receive direct payouts before Jan. 1, he said.

The remaining 600 applicants are still in the auditing process, Keliher said. The aid was made available for commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, fishing charter operators and seafood dealers and processors who suffered losses due to the pandemic.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News

Maine Department of Marine Resources Launches New Maine Seafood Brand Initiative

December 9, 2020 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), with support from Governor Janet Mills, is launching a branding and promotion initiative to celebrate Maine Seafood and to help consumers find and enjoy it in the comfort and safety of their home.

While rapidly changing seafood markets due to the coronavirus pandemic have posed challenges for seafood producers, retail seafood sales are up 35 percent compared to last year according to market research company Information Resources, Inc.

With $1,000,000 of the $20 million CARES Act relief funds allocated by NOAA for Maine’s commercial fishing and seafood industry, the Maine Seafood branding and promotion initiative will help this growing population of home-bound seafood enthusiasts discover the superior taste, quality and variety of seafood from Maine.

“Like producers across the globe, Maines seafood industry continues to face the challenge of rapidly changing markets,” said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “But this challenge also presents an opportunity. The Gulf of Maines cold, clean water is home to a wide variety of premium seafood products that are easy to prepare. The Maine Seafood branding and promotion initiative will help consumers learn about, find, and prepare Maine Seafood in their own kitchens.”

Maine’s seafood dealers and processors take great pride in delivering a variety of premium seafood products including inspired ready-to-cook offerings that take the worry out of meal preparation. Maine harvesters and aquaculturists are committed to responsible harvesting, cultivation, and handling practices, protecting both food quality and the marine environment.

“With more Maine people cooking from home, we have an opportunity to support Maines seafood industry by promoting the premium products we produce here at home,” said Governor Mills. “This initiative will support a vital sector of our states economy and connect consumers with high-quality seafood produced in the U.S. at a critical time.”

“When choosing Maine Seafood, consumers can trust that their seafood products, from shellfish to seaweed and halibut to haddock will be the highest quality, best tasting seafood on earth,” said Commissioner Keliher.

The initiative will emphasize the attributes that distinguish Maine Seafood, including the premium nature of the products, the pristine marine environment of the north Atlantic Ocean, and the industry’s passion for quality. A Maine Seafood website will feature a directory of Maine Seafood suppliers as well as inspired recipe ideas that make enjoying a Maine Seafood experience at home easy. Blog posts from influential food writers will drive consumer appreciation and demand for Maine Seafood. Social media accounts will allow foodies across the world to connect around their shared love of Maine Seafood. As the initiative moves forward, assets will be developed to support the industrys own marketing efforts. For a directory of Maine Seafood suppliers and easy, inspiring holiday and delicious holiday recipe inspiration visit www.SeafoodfromMaine.com.

Maine Department of Marine Resources launches seafood branding effort

December 9, 2020 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has launched a new marketing effort intended to promote the state’s seafood products through a branding effort to boost sales for the industry.

The new launch establishes a seafood brand for the Northeast U.S. state, using USD 1 million (EUR 825,527) of the state’s allocated USD 20 million (EUR 16.5 million) in CARES Act relief funding. The initiative will emphasize the qualities distinguishing Maine seafood, and will use multiple media channels to reach food-oriented audiences, according to the Maine DMR.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

With tough whale rules in place, California crabbers wait for humpbacks to move on

November 13, 2020 — California fishermen expected to be geared up this week for the Nov. 15 Dungeness crab season opener. But with another autumn aggregation of humpback whales feeding close to shore – and tough new state rules to avoid gear entanglements – the fleet is sitting tight for two weeks.

That means no fresh crab for Thanksgiving, a California coast tradition. It’s the first pre-emptive delay ordered by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife under the recently finalized Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP). Those regulations could result in shutting down the fishery if entanglements occur.

Delaying the Dungeness crab season off California’s central coast until Dec. 1 will probably allow enough time for for humpback whales to migrate out of the area, state wildlife officials say. They will assess the whale movements and risk for entanglements in fishing gear again in the central and northern coast areas before the rescheduled opening, said Fish and Wildlife director Charlton Bonham.

“The fleet has gone to great lengths to be more nimble in order to protect whales and turtles, and the results are promising,” Bonham said in announcing the decision Nov. 5. “This year for the first time in a long time it looks like we don’t have to worry about domoic acid, which is good news.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Maine’s scallop fishery poised to open

November 12, 2020 — Hancock County residents can look forward to feasting on freshly harvested sea scallops when the 2020-21 scallop fishing season kicks off in coming weeks. Maine’s scallop fishery landed 415,818 pounds of scallop meats worth $4.359 million in 2019, making it the state’s 10th most lucrative seafood.

On Nov. 5, the Maine Department of Marine Resources announced finalized dates for the 2020-21 scallop fishing season and its three fishery management zones. In Zone 2, which stretches from eastern Penobscot Bay to Quoddy Head in Lubec, licensed scallop divers can commence harvesting Monday, Nov. 23, with their season ending April 24. Scallop draggers’ season gets underway Tuesday, Dec. 1, and closes March 31.

In Zone 3, encompassing Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River — Maine’s richest scallop fishing grounds — divers can start fishing for the prized bivalves on Dec. 3, with their season closing March 27, while draggers can fish there starting Dec. 1 and ceasing March 24. In Zone 1, from western Penobscot Bay to the New Hampshire border, diving is allowed starting Nov. 17 and wraps up April 24 while dragging runs from Dec. 7 through March 18.

In zones 1 and 2, daily scallop meat possession will be limited to 15 gallons per boat. In Zone 3, ten gallons of shucked scallops will remain as the daily limit. The same limits apply to divers and draggers. For more details, the adopted 2020-2021 season regulations are posted at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/laws-regulations/newly-adopted-regulations.html.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Maine scallop fishermen have same harvest limits in ’20-’21

November 10, 2020 — Maine’s scallop fishermen will be able to harvest the same amount of scallops under the rules for the coming season.

Fishermen in Maine harvest scallops by diving or by boat every winter. This year, they will be allowed to possess up to 15 gallons per day along most of Maine’s coast and up to 10 gallons per day in the Cobscook Bay area, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said.

The fishing season runs from late November to April. Fishermen harvested more than 400,000 pounds of Maine scallops in 2019. That was the lowest number since 2012.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the San Francisco Chronicle

MAINE: Deadline Approaches for CARES Act Help for Fishermen

November 9, 2020 — The deadline is approaching for Maine fishermen to apply for help via the federal CARES Act.

The application period closes on Monday, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said. Assistance is available for fishermen in addition to aquaculturists and seafood dealers and processors.

The marine resources department said applications need to have been licensed to participate in their sector of the industry during 2019 to be eligible. The department said payments are expected to be made in December.

The coronavirus pandemic has hurt Maine’s seafood industry in part because of the hit taken by restaurants, which are critical customers for the industry.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

MAINE: Final week to apply for CARES Act Fisheries Relief funding

November 5, 2020 — If you work in Maine’s marine industry, this is the final week to apply for the CARES Act Fisheries Relief fund.

The Department of Marine Resources says it contacted eligible applicants last month by both mail and email, but wants to make sure anyone who can receive the aid is aware of the application process.

The federal funding relief is for licensed commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, seafood dealers and processors as well as for hire guides impacted by the pandemic this year.

Read the full story at WABI

Maine extends deadline for scallop license lottery

November 4, 2020 — Fisheries regulators in Maine are extending the period to apply for a scallop fishing license until the end of the week.

The state holds lotteries for licenses to harvest scallops by diving or by drag boats. The deadline to apply for a place in the lottery is Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it extended the deadline by a week because of concern that the lotteries might not have been as widely publicized as intended.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News

Maine extends deadline for scallop license lottery

November 3, 2020 — Fisheries regulators in Maine are extending the period to apply for a scallop fishing license until the end of the week.

The state holds lotteries for licenses to harvest scallops by diving or by drag boats. The deadline to apply for a place in the lottery is Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it extended the deadline by a week because of concern that the lotteries might not have been as widely publicized as intended.

Read the full story from the Associated Press from the Caledonian Record