Saving Seafood

With American Aquafarms farm stalled in Maine, Keith Decker resigns as CEO, moves to sell processing plant

May 14, 2023 — Keith Decker, who joined American Aquafarms as its CEO in October 2021, announced his resignation in early May and is now seeking to sell his share in the facility the company planned to use for its processing operations.

American Aquafarms reached an agreement to purchase the former Maine Fair Trade Lobster facility, in Gouldsboro, Maine, U.S.A., in October 2020. The 100,000-square-foot facility, formerly owned by the East Coast Seafood Group, was intended to house the company’s hatchery and fish farm facilities as part of a planned closed net-pen salmon aquaculture operation with a production capacity of up to 30,000 metric tons annually.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Maine lobstermen facing another rule that may affect their catch

May 9, 2023 — An Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission board has enacted new rules that could change the size of lobsters Maine fishermen can legally harvest in the hope that the changes will ultimately preserve the fishery.

The American Lobster Board has passed a policy that will put new size limits in place if data shows a 35% decrease in the local lobster population compared with counts from previous years.

If the fishery reaches that trigger point, the regulations would increase the minimum size of lobsters that lobstermen can keep.

The board has passed the policy in order to “improve the resiliency” of the lobster population in Maine waters by increasing the number of younger, breeding lobster that go unharvested. The policy comes amid data showing that warming waters related to climate change, which were at first a boon to Maine’s lobstering industry, could soon be its downfall.

Read the full article at the PRESS HERALD

Regulators approve new lobster size limits in Maine to preserve young population

May 8, 2023 — An Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission board has approved new measures that could change the minimum and maximum catch sizes for lobster in certain parts of Maine.

The fisheries commission said it will gradually implement changes to measurement sizes by fractions of an inch in certain parts of the Gulf of Maine — but only if it observes a 35 percent decline in the young lobster population through trawl and trap survey data.

Recent assessments have shown a 23 percent decline in juvenile lobsters, said Pat Keliher, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Senator Collins Questions Commerce Secretary about Incomplete Surveys in the Gulf of Maine

Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ exchange with Secretary Gina Raimondo. Click HERE to download.

May 2, 2023 — The following was released by the office of Senator Susan Collins:

At a hearing to review the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary Gina Raimondo on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) broken survey vessel, which is leading to incomplete survey work for the Gulf of Maine. Specifically, Senator Collins emphasized the deep knowledge of Maine’s fishermen and encouraged NOAA to work with them to better survey the Gulf of Maine, which will help inform more accurate quotas.

At the hearing, Senator Collins:

Last week, I was notified that the start of the Northeast Spring Bottom Trawl Survey will be delayed for the third time, because NOAA’s survey vessel, the Henry B. Bigelow, is not functioning properly. And I have a feeling this affects others of my colleagues. So, we still don’t know when this vessel will be functional. But, according to NOAA’s staff, it can only be used for this survey through May 26. But it may not be fixed in time. So, that means, according to NOAA, that NOAA will have to decrease the survey coverage; and that only 70% of the planned coverage area, in southern New England, Georges Bank and the Bank of Maine, will be surveyed.

I recently met with a group of Maine fishermen who shared their great frustration about incomplete surveys. Because if you don’t have accurate surveys, you can’t determine the quota. If you don’t know how many fish are out there, you can’t decide, accurately, what the quota is. And the fishermen are on the water every day. They have the best information about the state of the stock, and they’re not involved in the surveys. So, I would ask you, if your vessel is going to be out of commission, and as I said, this is the third time this has happened, I would ask you to consider collaborating with the fishermen, who work in the Gulf of Maine and in these other areas, on better data collection methods. They’re willing to help. And they do know where the fish are; that’s where they go. I hope you will consider that, because, otherwise, we’re going to end up with quotas that don’t reflect the state of the stock. 

Secretary Raimondo:

I will look into this. I’ve taken notes. You’re exactly right, about the surveys, how vital they are. We had a lot of problems, in COVID, staying on top of the surveys on time. We’re mostly caught up. I regret that we’re not caught up in Maine. So, let me look into it and get back to you.

If we’re allowed to collaborate in the way you suggest, with the fishermen, I think it’s a smart idea. But let me get into the details.

Proposed fund could help Maine lobstermen test new fishing gear

April 28, 2023 — State lawmakers are considering a measure that would create a new fund to help lobster fishermen test gear designed to reduce entanglement risks to endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The proposed fund would set aside $1 million for each of the next two years. The money would be paid to lobster fishermen who test ropeless and other kinds of new fishing gear designed to minimize interactions with right whales.

The most recent federal spending bill set aside nearly $20 million for fishing gear.

But Patrick Keliher, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said it’s reasonable that lobstermen receive a stipend for the work itself.

Read the full story at Maine Public

Maine herring fishers get money after decline of fish, quota cuts

April 27, 2023 — Fishermen in Maine’s historic herring fishing business will receive money from the federal government to help cope with a decline in the fish’s population that has caused the industry to struggle.

The government has appropriated $7 million for the fishermen, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Wednesday. Atlantic herring were found to be overfished via a 2020 scientific assessment, and fishing quotas were slashed after that.

The herring are especially important to New England’s fishing industry because they are used as bait by lobster fishermen. They’re also used as food, and people have fished for them from New England waters for hundreds of years.

Read the full story at News Center Maine

New program to help prevent ocean trash, promote sustainable packaging

April 25, 2023 — It’s estimated there are at least 50 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean, and a new initiative is underway to help tackle the problem in Maine.

The Maine Sea Grant College Program, University of Maine researchers and statewide partners will receive funding to address the prevention and removal of marine debris in the Gulf of Maine. The problem will be addressed from three directions: promoting sustainable packaging, getting rid of derelict fishing gear and repurposing materials from ghost traps.

“Marine debris negatively impacts our coastal communities, marine wildlife and iconic ocean vistas — things we consider special about our state,” Maine Sea Grant Director Gayle Zydlewski said in a news release. “Whether it’s preventing debris from going into the ocean or getting it out, we need to tackle this issue from multiple directions and perspectives.”

Read the full article at Mainebiz

New England council seeks boost in haddock quota to avoid shutdown

April 24, 2023 — Emergency action to temporarily boost the Gulf of Maine haddock catch is needed to avoid potential shutdowns during the 2023 groundfish fishing year that starts May 1, the New England Fishery Management Council said.

The council is asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to take emergency action “to address a critical Gulf of Maine haddock situation that is expected to result in significant fishery impacts during the 2023 groundfish fishing year,” according to a statement issued Thursday as the council wrapped up a three-day meeting at Mystic, Conn.

Council members learned that “fishermen have been encountering Gulf of Maine haddock at very high catch rates,” according to the council. “The proposed 2023 annual catch limit (ACL), however, is extremely low.”

One fishermen told of making one single trip when he caught so much haddock that it was equivalent to what his entire allocation will be for the 2023 season. Other fishermen have warned that an early shutdown of the fishery is very likely, with major impacts as a result.

Read the full article at the  National Fisherman