Maine Archives - Page 265 of 301

Part of New England’s herring fishery to be closed

September 29th, 2016 — Herring fishing off part of the New England coast will be shut down for most of October.

The closure begins Sunday and lasts until Oct. 29. It is the product of a spawning forecasting method that interstate regulators approved earlier this year.

Regulators say an analysis of samples necessitates a closure of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area for most of October. The area stretches from the north side of Cape Cod to southern Maine.

Vessels will not be allowed to possess Atlantic herring caught in the area during the closure.

The herring fishery is a key source of bait fish as well as food. The New England fishery struggled with low supply this summer, which resulted in a shortage of bait for some lobster fishermen.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Portland Press Herald

Spate of whale entanglements could inform regulations

September 28, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — A recent spate of entanglements of rare whales off of New England could help shape future regulations to preserve the endangered animals, federal authorities said Tuesday.

A North Atlantic right whale was found dead about 12 miles off the Maine coast over the weekend, entangled in fishing gear. Two other right whales were also found entangled recently. One of them was reported alive, and researchers plan to reassess its condition.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the 45-ton animal’s death near Maine was still being investigated, including whether the gear can be traced back to its owner.

“We’re on par for the course with the averages for the year for entanglements,” he said. “Overall, if you look at entanglements of all large whale species, we’re a little bit above our average.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Boston Globe

Herring fishing to be closed off New England in October

September 28, 2016 — YORK, Maine — Herring fishing off of part of the New England coast will be shut down for most of October.

The closure begins on Sunday and lasts until Oct. 29. It is the product of a spawning forecasting method that interstate regulators approved earlier this year.

Vessels will not be allowed to possess Atlantic herring caught in the area during the closure.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Greenwich Time

JOHN HENSHAW AND LARUS ISFELD: Maine must cultivate North Atlantic ties

September 27th, 2016 — Maine’s opportunities in the Arctic and North Atlantic are real and exist today.

Communities in the North Atlantic share many economic and cultural similarities. The same fish species that have been harvested for centuries in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine, such as cod and haddock, sustain commercial fisheries throughout the region. While the geography is vast, communities are small, leading to a common business culture that relies heavily on personal interaction and trust.

Maine’s opportunities in this region are not dependent on the demise of Arctic sea ice, with all its dire consequences for its inhabitants and the world, or even the opening of new Arctic shipping routes, which likely won’t be viable for many years.

Rather, we have real opportunities that are available today. Those opportunities are not based on our proximity to the Arctic but rather on our connectivity to the North Atlantic region through relationships. Eimskip and the Maine Port Authority, for example, are working together to develop statewide opportunities through the Port of Portland.

Primary among these opportunities is the potential for establishing mutually beneficial trading relationships and cultural and educational exchanges.

Read the full op-ed at CentralMaine.com

Establishment of new federal marine sanctuary draws mixed reaction

September 26, 2016 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — To the predictable responses of the commercial fishing industry — largely negative — and the conservation community — largely positive — President Obama last week set aside nearly 5,000 square miles off the coast of New England as a marine sanctuary.

Acting under the aegis of the Antiquities Act of 1906, he established the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Monument. That was the same statutory authority the President used to establish the controversial 87,600-acre Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine last month.

In August, the President expanded the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii by 442,781 square miles, creating the world’s largest marine protected area.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the monument encompasses a total of 4,913 square miles in two tracts. The first, rectangular in shape, protects three deep-ocean canyons: Oceanographer, Gilbert and Lydonia. The second, a larger triangle, protects the Bear, Physalla, Mytilus and Retriever seamounts.

Each of the three protected underwater canyons is deeper than the Grand Canyon. The four underwater mountains are, according to NOAA, “biodiversity hotspots and home to many rare and endangered species.”

To be managed jointly by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the protected areas are home to deep-sea coral ecosystems and home to unique species. Additionally, the protected areas create oceanographic conditions that concentrate pelagic species, including whales, dolphins and turtles; and highly migratory fish such as tunas, bullfish and sharks.

A large number of birds also rely on this area for foraging. The purpose of the proposed monument designation is to protect these fragile and largely pristine deep-sea habitats, and species and ecosystems.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American

Warmer waters might prevent baby lobsters from surviving

September 26th, 2016 — Baby lobsters might not be able to survive in the ocean’s waters if the ocean continues to warm at the expected rate.

That is the key finding of a study performed by scientists in Maine, the state most closely associated with lobster, followed by Massachusetts. The scientists, who are affiliated with the University of Maine Darling Marine Center and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, said the discovery could mean bad news for the future of one of America’s most beloved seafood treats, as well as the industry lobsters support.

The scientists found that lobster larvae struggled to survive when they were reared in water 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the temperatures that are currently typical of the western Gulf of Maine, a key lobster fishing area off of New England. Five degrees is how much the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects the Gulf of Maine’s temperature to warm by the year 2100.

The paper appears this month in the scientific journal ICES Journal of Marine Science. It could serve as a wake-up call that the lobster fishery faces a looming climate crisis that is already visible in southern New England, said Jesica Waller, one of the study’s authors.

“There has been a near total collapse in Rhode Island, the southern end of the fishery, and we know our waters are getting warmer,” Waller said. “We are hoping this research can be a jumping off point for more research into how lobsters might do over the next century.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Gloucester Times

MAINE: State hopes new card system can help revive struggling urchin fishery

September 26, 2016 — State officials are hoping what is good for elvers will be good for urchins, too.

Having implemented an electronic “swipe” card system in the elver fishery in 2014, the Maine Department of Marine Resources now is requiring urchin fishermen and wholesale dealers to use such cards to register every transaction. The requirement, which will give the department up-to-the-minute statewide harvest data, went into effect when the urchin season got underway on Sept. 1.

The goal, according to DMR officials, is to better manage the struggling fishery, which has seen far better times. Just over 20 years ago, Maine’s annual urchin landings briefly exceeded $40 million, noted Patrick Keliher, head of DMR. Only lobstering, which in the mid-1990s first passed the $100 million-a-year mark, was more valuable.

With only $4.3 million in total statewide landings in Maine in 2015, urchins now are the state’s seventh-most lucrative commercially fished species. The vast majority of all the urchins harvested in Maine are shipped to the Far East for the region’s voracious seafood market.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Warming waters threaten young lobsters, study finds

SOUTH BRISTOL, Maine — The Gulf of Maine’s lobster population, which has boomed even as climate change and overfishing have hurt other commercial species, could suffer if water temperatures keep rising, according to a University of Maine study.

The study suggests that, as the Gulf of Maine continues to grow warmer, the state’s $495 million lobster industry — by far the most valuable commercial fishery in Maine — could face the same kind of population decline that has affected urchins, scallops, groundfish and shrimp. Overfishing greatly reduced harvests for many of these species, but warming waters have been identified as an impediment to recovery.

The new lobster study, conducted by UMaine’s Darling Marine Center and by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, indicates that larvae reared in 66-degree water had a distinctly higher mortality rate than those cultivated in the water 5 degrees cooler, the temperature now typical in the western Gulf of Maine. Water temperatures in the western Gulf of Maine are expected to rise 5 degrees by 2100.

The study looked only at larval lobsters, which spend all their time floating, and not at juveniles or older lobsters that live on the ocean floor.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

The Maine Lobster Industry Celebrates National Lobster Day on September 25, 2016

September 23, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collective:

PORTLAND, Maine — For the second year in a row, the Maine Lobster industry will celebrate its positive economic and cultural impact both in Maine and in the U.S. during National Lobster Day on September 25, 2016. Designated through a resolution by Senators Angus King and Susan Collins of Maine, National Lobster Day reinforces the hard work, sustainable practices and passion of Maine’s 5,600 independent lobstermen and women.

“The lobster industry is not only an iconic part of Maine’s image, but it’s also a significant engine in our local economy that supports families up and down our coast,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “By designating September 25 as National Lobster Day, the Senate has once again recognized lobster’s tremendous value for our communities while honoring the hardworking people in the industry. The thousands of Mainers who haul lobster from our shores, process it and distribute it ensure that this delicious Maine product can be enjoyed across the country and around the world. Lobster is a livelihood and a way of life for many Maine people, and we will always work to make sure this proud industry can continue its positive impact for generations to come.”

Last year, the Maine Lobster industry landed more than 120 million pounds for the fourth year in a row thanks to the self-governing, unparalleled sustainable practices that the industry has had in place for 150 years. Landings increase during peak season, typically June through November, allowing for nearly $1 billion in revenue to support citizens throughout Maine, and the tender sweet flavor of Maine Lobster to be shared with diners across the country.

“We are thrilled that the Senate has recognized the Maine Lobster industry by deeming September 25 as National Lobster Day again this year,” said Matt Jacobson, the Executive Director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC). “We’re excited to have the national spotlight on our industry, especially during peak season, and we thank Senators King and Collins again for their support with this resolution.”

To further promote Maine Lobster and its rich heritage, the MLMC focuses on sharing the Maine Lobster story with national media, educating chefs about Maine Lobster’s diverse culinary applications to help them reimagine it as a key ingredient and connecting lobster lovers through social and digital platforms. Additionally, this year, the Collaborative released a video series that showcases the uniqueness of Maine Lobster and the industry’s impact across Maine.

“Maine Lobster’s strong sustainability story, beautiful flavor and versatility make chefs proud to serve it,” said Barton Seaver, chef, cookbook author and sustainable seafood expert. “National Lobster Day highlights these great qualities and the many people throughout the industry who bring Maine Lobster to our plates.”

Atlantic Herring Landing Days Set for Area 1A Trimester 3

September 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

This release revises the September 16^th release by modifying the end time of Maine’s landing period and clarifying that vessels may only land once every 24-hour period.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section (Section) members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met via conference call on Friday, September 16, 2016 to discuss Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) days out measures for Trimester 3 (October 1 – December 31). Section members, with input from industry, agreed to four consecutive landing days until 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL is projected to be harvested or until further notice. Vessels may only land once every 24-hour period.

Beginning on October 2, 2016: Vessels in the State of Maine may land herring starting at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays up to 5:59 p.m. on Thursdays.

Beginning on October 3, 2016: Vessels in the State of New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may land herring starting at 12:00 a.m. on Mondays up to 11:59 p.m. on Thursdays.

Trimester 3 landings will be closely monitored and the directed fishery will close when 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL is projected to be reached. Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until the start of Trimester 3. For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or aharp@asmfc.org.