Saving Seafood

MAINE: Students help scientists count baby scallops

April 10, 2025 — Students from Deer Isle-Stonington High School, all members of the Eastern Maine Skippers Program, gathered on April 4 at the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries in Stonington to count scallop spat in an effort to predict where beds of the bivalve mollusk might appear.

Spat is the term researchers use to describe post-larval, or juvenile, scallops. These tiny creatures, measuring roughly 1/8 inch, will mature over time into the delicious scallops treasured by diners.

The spat, members of the species Plactopecten magellanicus, or Atlantic deep-sea scallop, are found from North Carolina to the Gulf of St Lawrence. Local scallops are either harvested in the wild near shore or raised in one of several local aqua farms in and around Penobscot Bay.

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Press

Gulf of Maine scallop fishery likely to close for first time in over 15 years

April 10, 2025 — Fishermen are likely to be restricted from hauling scallops from federal waters in the Gulf of Maine for several weeks because regulators have delayed finalizing annual catch limits.

The temporary closure, expected in the next five days, would mark the first time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shut down the regional fishery midseason since the regulations were put into place 16 years ago. Those who dive for scallops near Maine’s coast are unaffected; federal waters begin 3 miles offshore.

NOAA typically passes annual rules by April 1, when the federal scalloping season kicks off. But without them, there is a stopgap measure in place that permits a limited amount of fishing. That limit has almost been reached.

Members of Maine’s fishing community say regulators at NOAA Fisheries have been challenged by the transition to a new presidential administration, a typical problem, and the federal staffing cutbacks that are part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to slash government spending.

Read the full article at the Portland Press Herald 

MAINE: Maine Senate unanimously approves new Department of Marine Resources commissioner

April 9, 2025 — The Maine Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to confirm Carl Wilson as commissioner of Department of Marine Resources.

Wilson headed DMR’s Bureau of Marine Science for roughly a decade and formerly served as the lead lobster biologist in the department. Wilson replaces Patrick Keliher, who retired last month after more than a dozen years leading the regulatory agency.

Read the full article at Maine Public

MAINE: Anti-offshore wind fishing group backed by right-wing money eyes support from Maine towns

April 3, 2025 — Since its founding three years ago, the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association has been a vocal opponent of offshore wind and relied on funding from a right-wing advocacy group connected to one of the most influential conservative activists in the U.S.

Now, the fishermen’s organization known as NEFSA is looking to diversify its revenue sources by asking coastal communities in Maine for financial support.

Jerry Leeman is the founder and CEO of NEFSA. And for the past three years he’s been the star of an advocacy campaign that’s led him up and down the northeast coast to preach against offshore wind.

Sometimes it’s in a banquet room in Rye, N.H., or in one of NEFSA’s slickly produced videos.

“These ridiculous data assessments that are based on little to nothing, we’re doing falsified research. It’s political science. This isn’t real science. Real science is the real observation of what things are,” Leeman said in one of NEFSA’s videos.

That message — and his sharp critiques of offshore wind — have also landed Leeman interviews on FOX News. When a blade from the Vineyard Wind project near Nantucket broke and sent debris onto nearby beaches last summer, Leeman joined a protest flotilla that drew interest from the network’s business channel.

Read the full article at Maine Public

MAINE: Health program for fishermen launched

April 3, 2025 — Healthy Harvesters, a wellness program designed for fishermen, has been launched by the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries and the town of Stonington.

“This is an essential program for providing fishermen with much needed support in improving their health and increasing their access to health care,” said NCOHS Director Julie Sorensen in a press release.

Read the full article at Mount Desert Islander

King, Pingree Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Support Fishing Communities

April 1, 2025 — The following was released by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree:

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand financial support for fishing communities in Maine and across the country. The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act wouldallow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations—like gear producers or cold storage—to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. The FCS is a network of lending institutions that provides credit to the agriculture industry

Joining King and Pingree in leading the introduction are Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA).

“Maine’s fishing industry is more than just the hardworking folks who catch and harvest our delicious seafood, it is also hundreds of small family businesses that make gear, build and maintain fish freezers, and distribute the state’s iconic produce,” said Senator King. “The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act would allow fishing-support businesses to access the loans of the Farm Credit System like similar small businesses working with livestock and crop farmers. These reliable loans unlock rural economies, and help businesses invest in new expansions. Opening this program to the men and women who put fish on grocery shelves and kitchen plates is a smart way to help them hire more workers, and modernize operations to meet the demands of the 21st century economy.”

“Fisheries are not only the backbone of Maine’s coastal communities and economy, they are a living, breathing ecosystem of interconnected businesses and generational knowledge—one that too often falls through the cracks of traditional credit systems,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Our coastal communities need strategic, pragmatic policy solutions that acknowledge their economic realities. This bill does precisely that: creating a fair lending environment that mirrors the support we’ve long provided to agricultural sectors. It’s about economic resilience and honoring the profound maritime heritage that defines regions like coastal Maine.”

“Our fishermen share the same mission as the American agriculture industry: to strengthen national food security with locally sourced, high-quality foods while building our economies,“ said Senator Murkowski. “Whether it’s the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act or amending the Farm Bill, I am actively working to ensure that Alaska’s fishermen and the businesses they rely on can access the same resources available to American farmers and ranchers.”

“Louisiana is home to a strong generational seafood industry, and our fishermen deserve a level playing field,” said Congressman Higgins. “Our legislation provides greater parity for America’s seafood producers and the supporting industries. We are working to provide the same financial opportunities and loan access that other agricultural commodities are entitled to.”

“The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) supports legislation that would allow Farm Credit institutions to lend to fishing-related businesses in the same way they lend to farm-related businesses. This change will increase the options for and availability of credit to businesses supporting the fishing industry in Maine and other coastal states,” said Patrice McCarron, Executive Director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “The economies of Maine’s coastal communities center around commercial fishing and the businesses that support the fishing industry in the same way that many rural communities revolve around farming and businesses supporting farming. Fishing-related businesses deserve the same access to competitive financing.”

“Representatives Pingree and Higgins are strong advocates for U.S. fishermen, and we appreciate their leadership in introducing the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act. Supporting rural communities is a vital piece of Farm Credit’s mission, and this bill will provide more financing options for our rural coastal communities,” said Farm Credit Council President and CEO Christy Seyfert. “Businesses providing services directly to the commercial fishing operators are impacted by same the pressures as the U.S. fishing industry. These businesses need access to competitive financing to maintain service to the U.S. fishing industry. We look forward to working with Reps. Higgins and Pingree include this commonsense legislation in the upcoming Farm Bill.”

The FCS was founded in Congress in 1916 to help farmers who historically struggled to access reliable credit and has since provided almost a million loans totaling more than $373 billion to farmers, ranchers, fishermen, aquatic producers, and more. Borrowers must meet eligibility and creditworthiness requirements. It currently provides more than one-third of the credit used by those who live and work in rural America.

Salmon and lobster in harmony

March 31, 2025 — There is quite a pile of evidence at this point that wild lobster populations have historically co-existed very nicely with salmon farming, but new chapters of this story continue to be written. 

Just recently, in November 2024, a lawsuit was filed by a U.S.-based environmental group Conservation Law Foundation against Cooke Aquaculture, contending that its salmon farming sites off the Maine coast involve dischargement of “pollutants such as fish feces, dead fish and trash.” 

Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, has stated publicly that the lawsuit was a surprise as this group has worked with salmon farmers to develop environmental standards. He did not respond to a request for further comment, but Joel Richardson, vice-president of Public Relations at Cooke, says it’s irresponsible for this group or anyone else to claim that modern marine finfish aquaculture harms lobsters.

“It is simply not true,” says Richardson. “Salmon aquaculture and the lobster fishery have co-existed in Atlantic Canada and Maine waters for more than 40 years under the existing environmental compliance criteria. Cooke’s Atlantic Canadian and Maine salmon farms are routinely inspected by government regulators and subject to regular monitoring reports. Lobster landings are not negatively affected by Atlantic salmon farms. In fact, lobster fishers are welcome to set lobster gear alongside and within aquaculture lease boundaries and they tell us they have success in every location where we operate. We support wild fisheries harvesters and their families 100 percent. We all need strong working waterfronts in our rural coastal communities.” 

Read the full article at Aquaculture North America

MAINE: Alternative fishing gear in focus

March 26, 2025 — Demonstrations and discussions focused on alternative lobster fishing gear will take place on April 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hosted by the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the demos will take place at the Stonington public landing/Hagen Dock while the discussions will be held at MCCF at 13 Atlantic Ave.

Read the full article at the Mount Desert Islander

MAINE: GMRI series, A new report for the Gulf of Maine, where we stand today

March 20, 2025 — Dr. Duffy Anderson at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, dissected the 2024 warming report, updating Mainers on the conditions across our almost 3500 miles of coastline. The report reviews 2024 as the 12th warmest year for the Gulf of Maine.

The body of water is positioned at the intersection of two major currents—the warm Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Current. This productive body of water has continued to evolve since warming began in 2012.

Read the full article at WMTW

MAINE: MLA honors board, rallies for the future at annual meeting

March 18, 2025 — The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) annual meeting took place at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum and was anything but routine this year.

As industry leaders gathered to discuss the latest challenges and victories in the state’s lobster industry, they also took a moment to recognize the end of an era—Kristan Porter, the longtime MLA board president and Cutler fisherman, announced his retirement from the role, along with board vice president Craig Stewart from Long Island, and Laurin Brooks who fishes out from Kennebunk. 

Lawsuits, Offshore Wind, Industry Resilience

Among the key updates shared, the MLA’s acting COO, Patrice McCarron, reaffirmed their stance against offshore wind development, highlighting progress in its legal battle with Monterey Bay Aquarium, and urged lobstermen to stay engaged in policy discussions, especially regarding the controversial gauge increase.

“You may have also heard the good news: the Monterey Bay Aquarium lawsuit will get the green light to go forward,” McCarron said. “We haven’t won the case, but we do now have the green light so that we would be expecting discovery and possibly going to trial in the near future.”

The lawsuit, a defamation case launched by the MLA and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA), challenges the Aquarium’s controversial decision to red-list Maine lobster over concerns about North Atlantic right whale entanglements. The case moving forward signals a significant step in the industry’s ongoing fight for fair representation.

The MLA also addressed other regulatory battles, including a pushback on federal electronic tracking mandates. “We certainly know where people are; we no longer have to guess, but they should not be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” McCarron stated. “You guys should not be tracked when using your vessels for personal reasons.”

The Maine lobster fishery continues to grapple with bait shortages and federal policy shifts, but as the meeting made clear, the industry is far from standing still.

Read the full article at National Fisherman