Saving Seafood

One on One with Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher

July 12, 2016 — In the five years since Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher took on the agency’s leadership, he and his team have played a central role in making the state’s commercial fishing industry stronger.

The industry reached an all-time high in value in 2015, earning harvesters just over $616.55 million, a gain of $33 million over the previous record set in 2014. With the economic impact on dealers and related business, the industry has an overall value of closer to $2 billion. Maine products range from the flagship lobster to the elver, or baby eel, which fetched $1,435 a pound in the recent season.

Mainebiz recently talked with Keliher about some of the challenges facing the state’s commercial fishing industry. An edited transcript follows.

Mainebiz: What are today’s pressing concerns for the industry?

Pat Keliher: The changing ocean environment is a major challenge. Water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine are rising and, while it’s been associated with the presence of new commercial species like black sea bass, it’s also been linked to invasive species like green crabs, the decline of species like shrimp and a shift of Maine’s lobster resource up the coast. I’d say that challenge is only going to grow.

MB: How has DMR addressed sustainability in the lobster industry?

PK: We’re planning to invest more department resources in research to ensure we’re not only able to effectively monitor Maine’s valuable lobster resource but also to predict changes that impact the resource and allow us to put forward adaptive management and regulatory changes. As a result of a motion I made in April, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s lobster technical committee will conduct an in-depth analysis of various issues associated with lobster stocks, ocean currents and management measures in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. The goal of this research is to better understand and adapt to the changing ocean environment.

Read the full story at MaineBiz

July 11 ASMFC Atlantic Herring Days Out Call Cancelled; Information on Maine Emergency Rule

July 11, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

As of June 6, 2016, 25% of the Trimester 2 quota (June 1 – September 30) for Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) has been harvested. The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has issued a herring emergency rule, effective July 9, 2016, in an attempt to distribute the Trimester 2 quota (72.8% of the Area 1A sub-ACL) as far into Trimester 2 as possible. This action also provides for fishing opportunities to account for
weather and safe operations.

As described in the emergency rule, vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A in any Maine port will be limited to the following provisions. See the DMR regulations for specific definitions and more information:https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDMR/bulletins/154c337

  • 3 fishing days (Saturday 6 p.m. to Tuesday 6 p.m.)
  • 2 landing days (Sunday 6 p.m. to Tuesday 6 p.m.)
  • Weekly landing limit of no more than 600,000 lbs (15 trucks)
  • Harvester vessels can make at-sea transfers to only one carrier vessel per week
  • Harvester vessels are limited to making one landing per 24-hour period (6 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
  • Harvester and carrier vessels shall send an email hail to DMR three hours prior to landing. See DMR website for specific reporting requirements.

Given the above measures, action on behalf of the Atlantic Herring Section is not warranted at this time; therefore, the ‘days out’ call on July 11 is cancelled. Staff will continue to monitor landings and will schedule ‘days out’ calls on an as needed basis, while providing 48 hours notice to interested parties. Vessels (except those landing in Maine) should adhere to the following ‘days out’ schedule that was released by the Commission in April.

  • July 1 – 14: Vessels may land 4 consecutive days a week. All other days are designated as ‘days out’ of the fishery (e.g., vessels may not land herring).
  • July 15 – September 30: Vessels may land herring 5 consecutive days a week until further notice. All other days are designated as ‘days out’ of the fishery.

Maine regulators intervene to mitigate shortage of lobster bait

July 8, 2016 — State regulators are taking steps to avert a crippling shortage of the most popular bait fish used by Maine lobstermen before the height of the season begins next month.

The dozen offshore trawlers that hunt for Atlantic herring in federal waters off Georges Bank are not catching much yet. In an effort to meet the demand for lobster bait, a few of these larger boats have changed their gear and joined the state’s much smaller, traditional purse seine herring fleet that fishes Maine’s coastal waters, said Deputy Commissioner Meredith Mendelson of the state Department of Marine Resources.

But regulators quickly realized that fishermen were running through the inshore fishing quota too fast, threatening to hit their summer limit before peak lobster season begins in August.

Fishermen have landed about 25 percent of the 19,400 metric tons of herring they are allowed to catch inshore during the summer, Mendelson said. At this time last year, fishermen had only caught about 20 percent of the summer quota.

“We’ve been trying to strike a balance,” she said. “We need to keep the inshore fishery open as long as possible, to get it to last through August so there’s no shortage of bait when lobstermen need it most, but we can’t be too restrictive or we run the risk of having a shortage now, or at least until the offshore boats find their herring. So we took some steps, and those didn’t seem to be enough. We were still running through the inshore quota too fast, so we tried some other things, but now industry is telling us there’s not enough bait. It’s a balancing act.”

On Saturday, after meeting with industry representatives this week, the department will issue new herring rules that will loosen some of the fishing restrictions enacted this spring to try to stretch the inshore summer quota and give the fleet the flexibility that it says it needs to supply a steady but moderate supply of bait. For example, earlier this year, herring fishermen were told they could only fish one day a week, and that wasn’t enough time for them to find the fish, especially in bad weather. Now they will be able to fish three days a week and land fish on two of those days.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

MAINE: Herring fishermen say fish quota concerns threaten lobster industry

July 6, 2016 — ROCKLAND, Maine — Maine’s huge lobster fishery could run into problems this year because fishermen might face a shortage of bait.

Herring are the primary bait for lobsters, but the people who catch the herring say they’re worried the quota for those fish could be used up too quickly. So the state is imposing new controls.

Herring fishermen say the problem is that herring are not being caught right now on Georges Bank off Massachusetts. That’s typically a prime spot for boats from Massachusetts and other states to pursue herring.

The fish were once the key to a significant Maine sardine canning industry. But the last cannery closed several years ago, and herring are now used for bait and for some animal feed.

Federal regulators have imposed a quota of 19,4 thousand metric tons of herring for the season that runs through September. However, because of the scarcity of fish on Georges Bank, the large out-of-state boats have started coming to Maine to fish.

Owners and operators of the smaller Maine boats that fish closer to shore say they’re worried the summer herring quota will be caught too quickly. Herring fishermen say if the quota is used up they won’t have bait to sell to lobstermen, at a time when the lobster fishing is heating up.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources met with herring fishermen Tuesday afternoon to outline a new plan to limit the number of days they can fish and how many fish they can catch. The state hopes that will stretch the fishery out until late August or September, and make sure there is a consistent supply of lobster bait.

Read the full story at NBC Portland

Northeast Ocean Plan is solidifying

July 6, 2016 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — The new Northeast Regional Ocean Plan currently being developed will not create any new regulatory authority, Maine Department of Marine Resources Deputy Commissioner Meredith Mendelson told a group at the Ellsworth Library last week.

The hearing, one of three in Maine, was held to solicit comment from the public and from “stakeholders” on what it anticipates is a near-final draft of the Northeast Ocean Plan. The public comment period began May 25 and ends July 25.

Six years ago, President Obama signed an executive order establishing a National Ocean Policy that called for the creation of nine regional boards to develop plans “to better manage the nation’s oceans and coasts.”

Four years ago, the Northeast Regional Planning Board was formed to develop a strategy for the waters off New England. The board includes representatives of nine federal agencies with authority of one sort or another over activities in the ocean, six federally recognized tribes, the New England Fishery Management Council and all six New England states.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

MAINE: Bait shortage could impact lobster industry

July 5, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Maine regulators are considering intervening to help fix a bait shortage that threatens to affect its signature lobster fishing industry.

Lobstermen typically use herring for bait, and regulators and members of the fishing industry say there’s a shortage of them. The shortage is happening at the time of year when lobster catches usually start to pick up — and just as New England’s high tourist season is arriving.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources met Tuesday afternoon to discuss what role it can play. Meredith Mendelson, the deputy commissioner of the department, tells The Associated Press that it anticipates passing rules at a later date based on Tuesday’s discussion.

The problem is that not enough herring are being caught on Georges Bank, a key fishing area off Massachusetts, members of the fishing industry said. That means there could be heavy pressure on the inshore herring fishery, and they say fishermen could reach their quota for that area before the summer is out.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald

Elaine Jones Receives Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment Visionary Award

June 24, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:

IMG_7245

Elaine Jones is presented the 2016 Visionary Award by Don Hudson of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment.

Elaine Jones, the Department of Marine Resources’ Director of Education has received the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment’s 2016 Visionary Award.

The annual award recognizes innovation, creativity, and commitment to protecting the marine environment. Recipients may work in the fields of environmental science, education, conservation or policy. They may be engaged in projects that involve public awareness, grassroots action, or business/manufacturing practices.

Jones was presented the award during the organization’s annual meeting on June 7th in Fredericton New Brunswick.

Jones, who has led the Maine Department of Marine Resources Education Division since 1991, was recognized for her work developing programs for Maine students, teachers and residents, along with designing and constructing the Maine State Aquarium, which attracts about 40,000 visitors every summer.

Jones was also honored for spearheading efforts to secure Burnt Island for the Department and restoring the Burnt Island Light Station into an educational and recreational facility unequaled in New England. In 2003 she initiated a living history program on site that attracts thousands of people every summer.

The award also recognized Jones’ efforts to conduct outreach programs to schools and colleges around the State, supplying classroom aquarium systems with marine animals, working on educational programs with the Marine Patrol as “Officer SALTY”, and establishing aquarium based internships for students at the University of New England, University of Maine at Orono and University of Maine at Farmington.

“This is a well-deserved award for Elaine,” said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “She is a visionary leader for Maine students, educators and residents, guiding and supporting their appreciation of Maine’s marine environment.”

“I accepted the award on behalf of a lot of DMR people who have assisted me along the way. They are all unsung heroes,” said Jones.

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment is a regional partnership among Gulf jurisdictions in the United States and Canada that works to protect and enhance environmental quality.

Maine Marine Patrol Investigates Death of Two Kayakers

June 23, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:

The Maine Marine Patrol is working to notify relatives of two people who died yesterday while kayaking near Corea, Maine. Members of Marine Patrol responded last night after being notified at 7 p.m. that a party of three was missing after leaving for a day on the water at approximately noon. One member of the party survived and was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The two deceased individuals have been transported to the Medical Examiner’s office in Augusta for an autopsy.

According to the surviving member of the party, the trio encountered rough seas at some point during their day trip, likely caused by a passing weather front.

The waves, reportedly three to five feet high, caused all three kayaks to capsize in the approximately fifty-two degree water.  After failing to return at a previously established time, the boaters were reported as overdue to United States Coast Guard authorities and Maine State Police Dispatch, which then notified the Maine Marine Patrol.

A search and rescue effort was immediately launched and involved Coast Guard vessels, Maine Marine Patrol a Maine Marine Patrol Protector vessel, a Coast Guard Helicopter, and area fishermen.

Responding from Marine Patrol were Sergeant Colin Macdonald, Officers Royce Eaton, Richard Derberghosian, Tom Reardon and Jeff Turcotte.

According to Marine Patrol reports, shortly after 8 p.m., a female victim was recovered by a local lobster fisherman.  After being transferred to a Coast Guard vessel and transported to shore, the female victim was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor by Lifeflight of Maine where she is recovering.

Approximately a half hour later, a second victim, was recovered by a local lobster fisherman and was unresponsive.  The male victim was transported to shore and pronounced dead by local EMS personnel.

At approximately 10 p.m. the third victim, a 54 year old male, was located by a local lobster fisherman. Maine Marine Patrol personnel recovered the third victim who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Marine Patrol reports, the victims were wearing t-shirts and shorts. All members of the party were wearing life jackets. The victims and survivor were recovered approximately half way between Cranberry Point and Petit Manan Island. Water temperature was in the low 50s.

Pending next of kin notification, the names of the victims are not being released at this time.

The investigation into the cause of this incident is ongoing and involves the Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mercury findings prompt Maine to widen lobster fishing ban in Penobscot River estuary

June 22, 2016 — Maine has expanded its ban on lobstering and crabbing in a small section of Penobscot Bay after finding elevated mercury levels in lobsters tested south of the existing no-fishing zone.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources had declared seven square miles of the Penobscot River estuary off limits to lobstermen and crabbers in 2014 after a federal court-ordered study detected elevated mercury levels in lobsters found as far south as Fort Point on the west bank and Wilson Point on the east bank. On Tuesday, based on the results of state-funded tests done after the initial closure, the department announced it would add 5.5 square miles to the no-fishing zone, extending it south to Squaw Point on Cape Jellison and Perkins Point in Castine.

The average amount of mercury found in the tails of legal size lobsters harvested off Cape Jellison in testing done in 2014 was about 292.7 nanograms per gram of tissue, according to state findings. That exceeds the 200-nanogram threshold recommended by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention – the Department of Marine Resources uses that level to decide if an area is unsafe to fish – but is lower than the 350 nanograms of mercury per gram of tissue found in canned white tuna, officials said.

“We are adding this very small, targeted area to the closure so consumers can continue to be confident in the exceptional quality of Maine lobster,” said Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

MAINE: Small Area Added to Penobscot Closure in Response to Monitoring Program

June 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced today that it will add a small area to the current lobster and crab fishing closure in the mouth of the Penobscot River in response to data gathered during 2014. The area will be added through rulemaking that takes effect Tuesday, June 21, 2016 and will extend the closure’s southern boundary to between Squaw Point on Cape Jellison and Perkins Point in Castine.

In February 2014, the department closed an area in the river that extends from Wilson Point across to Fort Point and north into the river after receiving information from a federal court-ordered study, the Penobscot River Mercury Study (PRMS). The area within the 2014 closure where lobster harvesting had occurred is approximately 7 square miles out of more than 14,000 square miles in the Gulf of Maine where lobsters are harvested. The additional area adds nearly 5.5 square miles to the closure.

To confirm the methodology and results in the PRMS and to determine whether or not to change the closure boundaries, the Department conducted monitoring in 2014 and 2015 of lobster and crab in the closed area and beyond it. Results of 2015 monitoring work are not yet available but will be evaluated as soon as they are.

Data from DMR monitoring work done in 2014 are from areas inside the original closure, including Odom Ledge, South Verona, and Fort Point, and three areas outside the closure, including Cape Jellison, Turner Point, and Sears Island. All areas had been previously sampled except Cape Jellison. Results from the PRMS and 2014 DMR sampling were similar in that mercury concentrations in lobster tail and claw tissue decreased geographically from north to south.

Levels in lobsters sampled from the Cape Jellison shore, an area immediately adjacent to the closure, and the shore adjacent to Turner Point, were lower than most of the other areas sampled in 2014, yet elevated enough to warrant including in the closure.

On average, tails in 40 legal size lobsters harvested for testing during 2014 along the south eastern shore of Cape Jellison contained 292.7 nanograms (a billionth of a gram) of mercury per gram of tissue (ng/g) while claws contained much less, at 139.2 ng/g. According to the FDA, canned white tuna contains 350 ng/g of mercury.

In addition to lobsters, crabs were also included in the original closure and evaluated in the on-going monitoring work. “Despite insufficient data on crabs in the PRMS study, we wanted to include them in the initial closure as a precaution,” said Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “While the 2014 study does not show levels of concern for crabs, the closure will continue to include crabs because of enforcement challenges and to provide time to continue to analyze the data.

“We are adding this very small, targeted area to the closure so consumers can continue to be confident in the exceptional quality of Maine lobster,” said Commissioner Keliher.

The department will host a public meeting to discuss the closure at the Bucksport Area Performing Arts Center at the Bucksport Middle School at 100 Miles Lane in Bucksport on Tuesday, June 28 at 5:30 p.m.

A Frequently Asked Question document, a chart of the closure area, and a copy of the report titled “Penobscot River Estuary Lobster and Rock Crab Mercury Study” can be found here.