Saving Seafood

MAINE: Winds of Change, Pt. 1: How offshore wind will impact Maine’s economy, energy

March 22, 2023 — Offshore wind is coming to the Gulf of Maine.

It’s part of a push from state and federal government to develop renewable energy.

But how soon will the wind hit the water – and how will it benefit Mainers?

Details on the state’s vision in part one of a special report: “Winds of Change.”

The winds blowing off the Gulf of Maine are strong, and consistent. It’s gotten some thinking – what if there was a way to use this resource to benefit the whole state?

That’s only part of the premise outlined in Gov. Janet Mills’ Offshore Wind Roadmap – a document that spells plans for hundreds of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine.

“We are striving for a balance that includes moving away from fossil fuels, continuing to support existing ocean industries and also providing additional economic opportunities throughout the state,” Stephanie Watson, the offshore wind program manager at the Governor’s Energy Office, said.

Offshore wind is just one way Maine is striving to meet its goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2050 – along with solar, onshore wind and storage.

Read the full article at WABI

MAINE: Maine lobstermen brought in less money than year before

March 30, 2023 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources released new lobster industry statistics.

After a year of historically high sales in 2021, last year’s numbers dropped.

In 2021, the average price per pound of lobster was $6.71. That fell to $3.97 in 2022.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources said lobstermen brought in just under 98 million pounds in 2022. That was much lower than the year before due to a few different economic reasons.

Read the full article at CBS 4 News

Crustacean defamation? Maine lobstermen sue aquarium over do-not-eat list.

March 19, 2023 — A group of lobstermen is heading to court in the hope of resolving an issue that they claim has endangered their American market: lobster defamation.

Months after a California aquarium and conservation group recommended that seafood consumers avoid buying and eating American lobster, Maine industry groups are arguing that lobster, which is mostly harvested in that state, should not have been boycotted.

A coalition of organizations, including the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, filed the defamation suit Monday against the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation after it placed the American lobster, a species found on the Atlantic coast that makes up most of the U.S. market, on its “red list” of seafood for consumers to avoid in September.

Seafood Watch, the conservation group operated by the aquarium, made the move because of the threat posed to right whales by fishing gear entanglement used to harvest lobster. Only an estimated 340 right whales are left in the North Atlantic.

Read the full article at the Washington Post

Lobster Fisherman File Defamation Suit Against Environmentalists for Lying About Fishing Practices

March 16, 2023 — A powerful environmentalist group in California is being sued by Maine lobstermen and industry groups for lying about the impact that lobstermen have on right whale populations offshore.

The California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation makes recommendations for seafood buyers and restaurant chains on where to purchase products. Last year, the foundation downgraded Maine lobster from “good alternative” to “avoid” because of the impact Maine lobster fisherman have on right whale populations.

“They conducted this inquiry, this analysis, based on what they characterized as all scientific data and a rigorous and transparent science-based process. But the facts are just the opposite,” Kevin Lipson, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “The facts are that Maine lobster fishing practices have actually contributed to the sustainability not only of the lobster fishery, but of North Atlantic right whales.”

Right whales are menaced with extinction by far bigger threats than a few hundred lobster fishermen. Nevertheless, the Maine lobstermen have taken pains to be responsible stewards of the sea.

Read the full article at PJ Media

Maine lobstermen sue California-based aquarium for recent ‘red listing’

March 14, 2023 — Maine lobstermen are suing the California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium over its decision to strip U-S lobster fisheries of their sustainability certification.

The aquarium’s Seafood Watch program “red-listed” lobster last fall, arguing that the fisheries pose a threat to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. The new rating means that the aquarium is urging businesses and consumers to avoid buying lobster.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal district court, Maine lobstermen argue that the aquarium has ignored the scientific data on right whale entanglements and that it made defamatory statements causing them economic harm.

“The aquarium leveraged its significant influence over public opinion and the commercial decisions of major lobster purchasers, using its public platform to pressure those parties into cutting off business with plaintiffs,” the complaint reads.

The plaintiffs include the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and three lobster producers and sellers. All say they’ve suffered monetary damages worth at least $75,000 each because of the aquarium’s new rating.

Read the full article at Maine Public

Officials consider new lobster size limits in Maine to protect young population

March 9, 2023 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering tighter rules on the minimum and maximum sizes of lobster that fishermen in Maine are allowed to catch.

Recent assessments show a troubling decline in young lobsters, commission and Maine Department of Marine Resources officials say, and because the state’s lobster catch is by far the largest and most valuable of any New England fishery, proactive measures might be necessary to protect the spawning stock.

Read the full article at CAI

MAINE: Environmentalists: Maine dam operator not protecting salmon

March 8, 2023 — Environmental groups and a Native American tribe accused the operator of a Maine dam on Monday of not fulfilling its obligation to protect the country’s last remaining Atlantic salmon river run.

The last wild Atlantic salmon live in a group of rivers in Maine and have been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 2000. The Penobscot River, a 109-mile (175-kilometer) river in the eastern part of the state is one of the most important habitats for the fish.

The Penobscot is also the site of the Milford Dam, which is owned by renewable energy giant Brookfield Renewable. The company is required under the Endangered Species Act to maintain fish passages that allow 95% of adult salmon to pass the dam within 48 hours.

According to the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Atlantic Salmon Federation and Penobscot Indian Nation, documents obtained using the Maine Freedom of Access Act show that Brookfield isn’t living up to that obligation and that data compiled by the Maine Department of Marine Resources last fall show that only about 21% of salmon pass the dam in the required timeframe.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

MAINE: Maine Lobstermen’s Association takes stock at annual meeting

March 8, 2023 — Offshore wind energy and the legal fight against federal lobster fishing regulations led the agenda for the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) in 2022, two big issues that remain in the forefront for 2023, Executive Director Patrice McCarron told a packed room Mar. 3 at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum in Rockport.

Between increased fishing restrictions, significantly lower lobster landings in 2022 than in 2021, spiraling fishing costs, offshore wind development and juvenile stocks reportedly in decline, “we’re not exaggerating our concern about the future of the fishery,” McCarron said. “The fight is real.”

But with federal offshore wind energy in development on the outer continental shelf, including the Gulf of Maine, she acknowledged that the push is a national initiative. “The Gulf of Maine is actually the slowest [to be developed] on the list,” she said.

That offshore wind energy looms over the fishing industry is evident by the Forum opening Mar. 2 with a slate of seminars dedicated to the issue, with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials on hand.

Read the full article at Mount Desert Islander

MAINE: Maine lobstermen land $389M haul last year, the lowest in a decade

March 6, 2023 — Maine fishermen brought in nearly $389 million dollars worth of lobster last year, the lowest in a decade. It’s an almost 48% drop from 2021’s record-breaking catch, according to preliminary data that the Maine Department of Marine Resources released Friday.

Kristan Porter, a Cutler fisherman and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said 2021 was an exceptional year.

Read the full article at Maine Public

MAINE: Maine’s commercial fisheries value normalizes after record-breaking 2021

March 6, 2023 — The value of the U.S. state of Maine’s commercial fisheries is back in line with historical norms after high lobster prices resulted in a a record-breaking 2021 haul.

The total value of all Maine’s commercial landings reached USD 574 million (EUR 537 million) in 2022, a 37 percent drop from the all-time high of USD 890 million (EUR 832 million) earned in 2021. Despite the drop, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) said that the value is in line with historical norms, as the average value of all fisheries for the period spanning 2011 to 2020 is USD 586 million (EUR 548 million).

Read the full article at SeafoodSource