Saving Seafood

Great white sharks have returned to New England

July 30, 2020 — Maine saw its first fatal shark attack in the state’s history Monday when a shark killed a 63-year-old New York woman off Bailey Island, Maine, northeast of Portland.

“Based on the information I have from the state of Maine, including photos of tooth fragments, this was definitely caused by a white shark attack,” says Greg Skomal, a leading Atlantic great white shark expert and senior scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Maine officials invited Skomal to consult on the investigation into the attack.

The return of great white sharks to New England over the past two decades is both a conservation success story and an emerging public safety concern. Though it is extremely rare for a shark to attack—much less kill—a human, incidents are on the rise in New England. Since 2012, there have been five attacks in the region, all in Massachusetts. Only two have been fatal: Monday’s, and the death of a boogie boarder off Cape Cod in 2018. Before 2012, the most recent attack occurred in 1936. (Read about how Cape Cod has grappled with becoming a great white shark hotspot.)

It’s not known precisely how many great white sharks are in New England waters, but a tagging program Skomal started in 2009 suggests the number is growing steadily. Data from a five-year population study he launched in 2014 is still being processed, but he tagged a record-breaking 50 white sharks off Cape Cod in 2019.

Read the full story at National Geographic

Great whites attracted by plentiful seal populations in Maine waters

July 29, 2020 — Monday’s fatal shark attack off Harpswell is the result of rebounding great white shark and seal populations along the Maine coast, experts say.

The attack on Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, was the first fatal shark attack in the state’s history. A diver was attacked off Eastport in 2010, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File, but he was not injured and fended off a porbeagle shark with his video camera.

Seal populations have grown since a 1972 law barred killing of marine mammals and white shark numbers have been rebounding for two decades as a result of a rule that said fishermen could no longer kill the fearsome predators, a shark expert based in Massachusetts said.

Gregory Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries dismissed speculation that warming water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine might be enticing more great whites to the state’s coastline.

He said the sharks always have been frequent visitors to Maine waters, but that growing seal populations might be drawing them closer to the shore. Seals are a favorite food of the great white, he said.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Concert at sea will raise money for Maine’s lobster industry

July 29, 2020 — An organization that supports fishermen is holding a socially distanced concert on the sea to raise money for Maine’s lobster industry.

Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation is holding the concert on the waters of Casco Bay on Aug. 2. The band Turd Pollock is volunteering to play the show from a float on the water.

Boaters are invited to drop anchor on the southeast side of Chebeague Island, organizers said. The event will also be live streamed on Facebook from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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

Scientist: Increase In Seal Population Likely Attracting More Sharks To Maine Waters

July 29, 2020 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources has identified Julie Dimperio Holowach, of New York City, as the victim of a shark attack near Bailey Island yesterday. She was pronounced dead after being helped to the shore following the attack.

It may be the first recorded encounter of its kind in Maine and has sparked beach closures in parts of the state.

Dr. Nick Whitney, senior scientist and chair of the Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies Program with the New England Aquarium in Boston, spoke with Maine Public’s Nora Flaherty about why there might be more sharks in Maine now than there have been in the past.

Dr. Whitney: I think it’s generally accepted that the increase in number of seals is leading to more white sharks coming closer to shore during some months. Other than that, I’m not sure if there’s been any major changes in migration patterns. Sharks have probably been using these waters for decades or longer.

Read the full story at Maine Public

Maine lobstermen prepare for uncertain summer season, hoping for further federal relief

July 28, 2020 — More than 1,300 lobstermen in Maine – about 1 in 3 – received forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with the majority amounting to roughly $10,900.

It may not be enough to sustain fishermen through an already uncertain summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, told the Portland Press Herald.

“A lot of people got very small loans that helped in the short term, at the start of the crisis, but now the crisis is dragging on and lobstering season hasn’t even really started,” Martens said.

New data from the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that altogether, Maine’s lobster industry received roughly $24 million in PPP funding, the most given to any business concern in the state; dine-in restaurants, beauty salons, real estate, and home building received the next highest amounts.

While the bulk of the fishing sector money – nearly $15 million – went to fishermen, some dealers, retailers and processors received loans between $150,000 and $1 million.

Read the full story at The Center Square

MAINE: New Economic Report Evaluates Aquaculture Workforce Needs and Education Opportunities

July 27, 2020 — The following was released by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute:

On Monday, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute published a new report which identifies the labor needs of Maine’s growing aquaculture industry and charts a course for Maine to establish a comprehensive workforce training system to meet those needs.

The report — produced by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in partnership with the Maine Aquaculture Association and Educate Maine, with support from FocusMaine — captures the findings of a collaborative project team that included local partners, industry voices, and a team of outside experts drawn from four Scottish consulting firms.

After extensive interviews with Maine aquaculture businesses, including established and prospective land-based operations, marine producers, service providers, and supply chain companies, the team is now sharing their findings across this rapidly-growing sector.

“With so many businesses, NGOs, and individuals invested in the responsible growth of this industry, we knew this project needed to be a true collaboration,” said Gulf of Maine Research Institute Aquaculture Program Manager Chris Vonderweidt, who led the 18-month project. “It’s crucial for all of us to understand what workforce development efforts are required to realize the potential for Maine’s coastal economy and working waterfronts — so it’s exciting to be able to provide some of those answers.”

Workforce Need:

Maine’s aquaculture industry includes a constellation of largely owner-operator scale shellfish and marine algae farms, mid-sized service providers, and largescale finfish production operations. New production models, such as land-based Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, provide yet another growing employment opportunity in this sector.

While the needs of these various business models are wide-ranging and variable, one common need emerged from the study: an expanded pool of well-trained workers.

Today, Maine’s total aquaculture workforce exceeds 600 direct employees, plus auxiliary services, further trades, transport, processing, equipment supply, and retail employment across the value chain.

Based on interviews with existing and prospective business owners, the industry will require an influx of new trained workers in the coming years. By 2022, the aquaculture workforce is projected to include around 880 employees across production and related activities, and over 1,600 across the supply chain. By 2030, the workforce could exceed 1,000 direct employees, and over 2,000 in the total production, supply chain and downstream markets.

Without a deliberate effort to train and develop these workers, Mainers may not realize the full economic benefit of this expanding industry.

“Finding workers with the right skills is a year-after-year challenge for Mook Sea Farm,” said Bill Mook, owner of Mook Sea Farm. “I’m impressed with the proposed system that is founded on industry needs and prioritizes the type of training and experience to produce employees that can enable our continued growth.”

Education and Training Opportunity:

After identifying the scale of the workforce need for Maine’s aquaculture industry, the report goes on to identify opportunities to meet these needs.

The report reveals the importance of practical know-how and on-the-job experience to nearly all the businesses participating in the interviews. Maine’s industry stakeholders believe on-the-job training is valuable, but they also expressed a desire for more programs structured to develop and formalize occupational competencies.

The report identifies Maine’s community colleges and career technical education centers as well-prepared to create learning opportunities that meet industry demand identified through the research.

The report specifically recommends the creation of three vocational hubs across the state to provide vocational training specific to aquaculture: Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, the Mid-Coast School of Technology in Rockland, and Washington County Community College in Calais.

“We are delighted about the opportunity to train and develop Maine students to expand our state and regional workforce in support of our vital waterfront industry,” said Washington County Community College President Susan Mingo.

“SMCC is well-positioned with our oceanfront location, a highly regarded Marine Science degree program and instructors who are experienced in aquaculture and business,” adds SMCC President Joe Cassidy. “We look forward to working with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and people in the aquaculture industry to determine how we can best support this growing Maine industry.”

Among the other recommendations made within the report are a Maine Department of Labor-approved aquaculture apprenticeship program, the development of new occupational standards, and marketing support to promote the new learning opportunities.

For more on this project, including both the full Maine Aquaculture Workforce Development Strategy report and a Summary Report, please visit: https://www.gmri.org/projects/maine-aquaculture-workforce-development-strategy/.

Mills, Collins Call On Federal Government To Provide Disaster Assistance To Maine Herring Industry

July 24, 2020 — Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins are calling on the federal government to provide disaster assistance to the state’s herring industry in the wake of what they call the fishery’s failure.

The herring population off New England’s coast has nosedived in recent years, and federal regulators have drastically reduced commercial catch limits by more than 80 percent. That has driven prices for the vital food-chain fish ever higher, and sent lobstermen scrambling for alternatives to what had been their go-to bait.u.s.

Earlier this month Mills asked the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to formally declare the regional fishery a failure, and this week Collins backed her up. In her letter, Collins says it is unclear how the industry will survive without immediate financial assistance.

Read the full story at Maine Public

Status Quo Effort Controls Maintained for the 2020 Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery for Season 1

July 23, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met via webinar on July 23rd, and decided to maintain status quo effort control measures for the 2020 Area 1A fishery for Season 1 (June 1 – September 30). Current effort controls for the 2020 Area 1A fishery are detailed in M20-50 which is available on the Commission’s website (click here).

The Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 2,957 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for the research set-aside, the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside, and the fact that Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL. The Board allocated 72.8% of the sub-ACL for Area 1A to Season 1 (2,152 mt). The Maine fishery began Sunday, July 19 (6:00 pm), and the New Hampshire/Massachusetts fishery began Monday, July 20 (12:01 am). Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landings days when 92% of the Season 1 quota is projected to be reached.

The Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are scheduled to reconvene via conference call to review fishing effort on:

  • Friday, July 31, at 8:30 – 10:00 am
  • You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/924867957. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. The meeting will be using the computer audio (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (646) 749-3122and enter access code 924-867-957 when prompted.

If it is decided that this meeting is not needed, it may be canceled. Please contact Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

PPP loans helped buoy Maine’s lobster industry through the spring

July 22, 2020 — Maine lobster businesses, both large and small, received emergency funding through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program to help them survive the economic crisis wrought by the coronavirus’ global spread this spring.

The lobstering sector was the top recipient in Maine of forgivable PPP loans of less than USD 150,000 (EUR 130,000), with around USD 14.9 million (EUR 12.9 million) offered to 1,358 Maine lobstermen, according to the Portland Press Herald. But the average loan to lobster fishermen was USD 10,900 (EUR 9,400) each, a total that won’t help many survive the season if low dock prices and weak export markets continue, according to Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

1 in 3 Maine lobstermen lands federal pandemic loan

July 20, 2020 — Maine lobstermen reeled in more small federal emergency loans under the Paycheck Protection Program than members of any other industry in Maine, with about one out of every three commercial lobstermen landing one, but the average loan was barely large enough to cover a month’s worth of bait at the height of the summer fishing season.

About $14.9 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans of less than $150,000 have been handed out to 1,358 Maine lobstermen, according to an analysis of newly released U.S. Small Business Administration data. That puts lobstermen ahead of full-service restaurants, real estate offices, beauty salons and home builders, which rounded out the top five Maine industries receiving small PPP loans.

But the high participation rate didn’t net Maine lobstermen a lot of money, with the average small PPP loan to lobster fishermen working out to be just $10,900 each, data show. By comparison, full-service restaurants got $53,500. Home builders, $30,000. It didn’t get better when the loans got bigger: Only two lobstering companies got large loans of more than $150,000.

“A lot of people got very small loans that helped in the short term, at the start of the crisis, but now the crisis is dragging on and lobstering season hasn’t even really started,” said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. “Ten grand is nice if you’re struggling, but not enough if you’re suffering.”

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald