November 26, 2024 — A federal judge is throwing out a lawsuit from Maine lobstermen over a rule that went into effect more than a year ago.
The rule requires lobstermen with federal fishing permits to put monitors on their boats, which tracks their location on the water.
Five lobstermen had argued that the monitors violate their constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection and due process.
November 25, 2024 — Scientists say the Gulf of Maine is now warming faster than almost anywhere else in the world. What does that mean for the state’s billion-dollar fishing industry?
Researchers at the University of Maine are developing new tools to ensure the sustainability of Maine’s commercial fisheries.
For years, scientists have been tracking how less cold water enters the Gulf of Maine while the hotter Gulf Stream is shifting north and adding warmer water to the region. This is impacting populations of different species, including Atlantic cod.
November 22, 2024 — A federal judge has ruled against a group of five lobstermen that sued the state in attempt to stop electronic boat tracking requirements that went effect almost one year ago.
The rules require lobstermen with federal fishing permits to install monitors on their boats that track their location on the water.
The lobstermen argued that the tracking is a violation of their constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection and due process.
A federal judge in Bangor dismissed the case Thursday, in part, because of jurisdictional issues. Though the Maine Department of Marine Resources promulgated the rules, the policy to begin monitoring came from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The commission said it’s seeking more data from multiple states about fishing trends and potential interactions with critically endangered right whales and other species.
Judge John Woodcock said he was also swayed by DMR’s arguments that the monitoring is not overly intrusive of lobstermen privacy, as the industry is subject to tougher standards and conservation measures that are meant to protect the fishery.
November 20, 2024 — Harpswell’s Aquaculture Working Group has created a new map of local commercial fishing areas, urging state officials to use it when evaluating applications for aquaculture leases to help avoid conflicts with fishermen.
However, a Maine Department of Marine Resources official told the group at a recent meeting that a locally generated map can’t be used as the sole basis for denying a lease application. Still, the official praised the effort and said the map would be helpful for planning and information purposes.
The Harpswell Select Board created the working group in May based on a recommendation from the town’s Marine Resources Committee.
November 18, 2024 — On the campaign trail, president elect Donald Trump lashed out against ocean wind energy and declared he would stop the industry’s development.
But offshore wind power supporters in Maine said while they expect roadblocks ahead, a single presidential administration is unlikely to derail the state’s long-term plans.
Chris Wissemann, the CEO of Diamond Offshore Wind is clear-eyed about what a second Trump administration means for his industry.
“I think it’s inevitable that commercial scale offshore wind slows down,” Wissemann said.
But he doesn’t expect Maine’s plans to build the first floating offshore wind array in the U.S. will come to a dead stop.
Diamond Wind, a Mitsubishi Corp. subsidiary, is the state’s commercial partner on a planned 10-turbine demonstration project in leased federal water in the Gulf of Maine. It’s the first stage of the state’s plans to become a regional epicenter for a new floating offshore wind industry.
November 18, 2024 — The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has sent a letter to Cooke Inc. CEO Glenn Cooke announcing its intent to sue the company over alleged Clean Water Act violations at its salmon farms in the U.S. state of Maine.
“Cooke is in full compliance with the laws set forth by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Marine Resources and its operating permits,” the company said. “Cooke’s Maine Atlantic salmon farms are routinely inspected by state regulators and subject to regular monitoring reports. These laws are designed to protect Maine waters as well as Maine’s heritage fisheries.”
November 18, 2024 — The lumpfish is small. As its name suggests, it’s rather lumpy – not streamlined, like the fish that interest most recreational and commercial anglers. It isn’t eaten or harvested in New England. Until recently, lumpfish populations in the Gulf of Maine haven’t been studied much.
But to anyone who has interacted with one, the lumpfish is beloved, says University of New Hampshire researcher Elizabeth Fairchild.
“They love to come swim up to the top of a tank to check out anybody who walks by,” she said. “They’re very personable. They’re very curious and they’re hungry all the time, so they come right up to you thinking that you’re going to feed them.”
Fairchild has focused on studying lumpfish in part because they have a special quality. They’re a “cleaner fish,” eating parasites that cling to other fish. Salmon farmers in other parts of the world have used lumpfish to help manage sea lice, a small crustacean that attaches to fish and can cause health problems.
Instead of using harsh chemicals or thermal baths to get rid of the sea lice, farmers can let lumpfish eat the parasites instead.
November 13 2024 — An online auction is underway to support the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries “as we pursue our goals to secure a sustainable future for fisheries and fishing communities in Eastern Maine and beyond,” said a statement on the center’s website.
To browse through “an extraordinary array of one-of-a-kind, inspiring items and experiences, thoughtfully curated to evoke local pride and connection to our vibrant community,” said an email, go to new.biddingowl.com/FishForever.
November 13, 2024 — Andrew Goode grew up lobstering with his father in Boothbay, Maine, a coastal town whose economy and culture have long been defined by the fishing industry.
Goode: “It’s essentially what built the town.”
Today, as a researcher at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center, Goode studies how the warming climate is affecting lobster in his region.
November 12, 2024 — A coalition of U.S. East Coast states have selected two firms to manage the Offshore Wind Fisheries Compensation Fund, a mitigation program built to compensate commercial and recreation for-hire fishers for revenue lost due to offshore wind developments.
The fund is a collaboration between the governments of 11 East Coast states – Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina – to provide financial compensation for economic loss caused by offshore wind projects along the Atlantic Coast. The states launched a competition earlier this year to select an administrator to run the new fund.