Saving Seafood

MAINE: Critics ramp up pressure on Jonesport fish farm, but others voice their support

January 21, 2022 — Critics of a land-based fish farm proposal from Kingfish Maine are getting louder, hoping to convince the local planning board that allowing the company to build a facility off Route 187 would be a bad idea. But local supporters also are speaking out, and seem to outnumber the opponents.

About 60 people attended an informational meeting hosted Monday by the company at the Jonesport fire station. Some at the meeting questioned Megan Sorby, Kingfish’s operations manager, and said information released by Kingfish was misleading or inaccurate, but others in the audience voiced their support for the project.

The area has long been reliant on the lobster industry, but with concerns about the long-term viability of that fishery and a need to shore up the local economy, the land-based fish farm could be what’s needed to help.

When someone asked for a show of hands, only about a dozen people raised theirs to indicate they were against it. Roughly two-thirds of the people in the room then raised their hands to show they are in favor of it.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

 

Rising scallop prices please fishermen

January 21, 2022 — From the coast of Maine down to the large fish markets in Gloucester and New Bedford, Mass., scallops are fetching up to $30 a pound and even more, including $35 a pound for frozen, shipped scallops from Greenhead Lobster in Stonington.

Everywhere, scallop prices are up about 50 percent no matter where they come from in Maine, or in Massachusetts. The price may tick south the farther east you go, but local scallopers say the higher prices are well deserved, even if they’re not sure why prices are up.

Scallop fishermen are getting $10 more a pound locally for scallops, from dealers and from direct sales, over last year’s boat and retail prices.

Wood’s Seafood in Bucksport is asking $28 a pound, a price Ed Wood said has held steady six weeks into the season.

“We were selling for like $18 or $19 [a pound],” said Wood, who mainly sells retail. “It’s up about $10 this year from last year.” But sales are down, he noted. “Typically, especially around Christmas time, they used to buy them and give them away for presents. Not so much this year.”

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

 

MAINE: Lobstermen fear offshore tracking data would be used against them

January 20, 2022 — Maine lobstermen objected Tuesday to a proposal from interstate fishing managers that would require offshore lobstermen to have electronic trackers on their boats.

An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering implementing the tracking requirements on federally-permitted lobster and Jonah crab fishermen in order to collect data on where and how they fish. At a public hearing on Tuesday, commission officials laid out the proposal and heard concerns from lobstermen across the northeast.

The managers hope the data will help with fish stock assessments, interactions with protected species such as right whales, enforcement and ocean planning.

Lobstermen currently don’t have to report where they fish but competition for space could become more prevalent as other uses, such as aquaculture, marine protected areas and offshore energy, emerge. Officials said this data could help regulators understand how new uses could affect the fishery, something that’s currently challenging because they don’t know where fishermen drop their traps.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

MAINE: American Aquafarms launches video series

January 20, 2022 — American Aquafarms is inviting the public to tune in to the first of its eight-part “Community Conversations” series starting Thursday, Jan. 20. In the introductory video, the Norwegian-backed company’s new American CEO, Keith Decker, paints his vision of Maine as a major food producer and the proposed $250 million Frenchman Bay salmon farm as being at the forefront of sustainable fish farming practices worldwide. As the pandemic persists, company officials see the online series as a way to disseminate information directly about the project and respond to questions from the public.

Archipelago Law, a Portland-based firm specializing in maritime and “Blue” commerce, which earlier this winter took over from Bernstein Shur as American Aquafarms’ Maine legal counsel, developed “Community Conversations.” One of the small firm’s founding partners, Benjamin E. Ford, serves as host in “Show 1” of the series created on the video hosting platform Vimeo. Decker and American Aquafarms’ Project Development Manager Tom Brennan are the only other two participants in the 15-minute segment available at https://vimeo.com/661319868/c983238d00.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

 

Maine lobstermen can’t find gear to comply with new federal regulations

January 19, 2022 — Chebeague Island lobsterman Jeff Putnam has been on the hunt for small plastic links that will meet new requirements set to go in effect this spring to help protect right whales.

Starting on May 1, lobstermen, depending on where they fish, will have to add inserts that will weaken their ropes or use ropes that are rated to break at 1,700 pounds of force to comply with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulations to help protect the endangered species.

The links are designed to weaken the fishing ropes that run between his buoys and lobster traps. But Putnam and other lobstermen say that they can’t find the gear they need to comply with the new rules, leaving them uncertain how they will proceed.

“I haven’t seen them at any stores yet,” Putnam said.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

MAINE: Future looks dire for lobster fishery, coastal economy

January 18, 2022 — The federal government has signaled its intention to nearly eliminate rope fishing for lobsters over 10 years, but the entire fishery may be closed even sooner than that, according to Pat Keliher, Maine Department of Marine Resources commissioner.

The reason: to save the endangered right whale.

Fishermen say there aren’t any right whales in the Gulf of Maine. The government not only says that there are, but recently announced they’re dying off even faster than previously thought.

“We think the threat of the closure of the fishery is increasingly significant,” Keliher said at a virtual Lobster Advisory Council Meeting on December 15.

He said the lobster industry faces multiple perils.

Read the full story at the Penobscot Bay Press

MAINE: American Aquafarms application still stalled

January 13, 2022 — American Aquafarms’ Project Development Director Tom Brennan has a key to the closed Maine Fair Trade plant. Brennan says the power, heat and Wi-Fi are all on in the Prospect Harbor facility that has not yet changed hands. He says the Norwegian-backed company is planning to launch its series of online “Community Conversations” in coming weeks.

In addition, Brennan said American Aquafarms took down its website weeks ago. A new site has been designed and will be launched in the near future.

Reached late last week while driving from Prospect Harbor to southern Maine, Brennan said it’s his understanding that American Aquafarms is close to resolving the issue of sourcing juvenile Atlantic salmon or smolt for the startup phase of its proposed $250 million project. The company plans to eventually construct a fish hatchery at the shuttered Maine Fair Trade facility. If the project is approved, the salmon will be grown to market size in pens in Frenchman Bay.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

 

Climate change could end Maine’s lobster boom, some fear

January 11, 2022 — Among the deep underwater valleys off Maine’s craggy, crooked coast crawls one of the must lucrative species in American waters — Homarus americanus, the American lobster.

For almost 20 years, record haul numbers padded the pockets of Maine lobstermen, but with landings declining for five straight years, many wonder how the industry will survive the impacts of climate change.

Last year, Maine’s commercial lobstermen landed $500 million worth, and many of the most successful lobstermen pocket upward of $500,000 each.

Data show the Gulf of Maine is rapidly warming, pushing lobsters farther north and into deeper waters, forcing lobstermen and researchers to grapple over exactly how long the boom times will last and whether they can be prolonged.

Read the full story at UPI

American Lobster Draft Addendum XXIX/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum IV for Public Comment: Public Hearing Presentation Now Available

January 11, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board has approved for public comment Draft Addendum XXIX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Lobster and Draft Addendum IV to the Jonah Crab FMP. The Draft Addenda were initiated in August 2020 to consider implementing electronic tracking requirements for federally-permitted vessels in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries, with the objective of collecting high resolution spatial and temporal effort data.

The collection of enhanced spatial and temporal data via electronic tracking devices in the offshore fishery would support managers in addressing a number of challenges facing the fishery. Electronic tracking data would greatly improve the stock assessment’s ability to estimate exploitation and abundance for American lobster, as the trackers would allow size composition data to be linked to harvest at a finer spatial resolution than what is currently possible. Additionally, the data could improve the models used to assess the location of vertical lines in the fishery and their associated risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales, which could impact federal risk reduction requirements for the fishery. Characterizing the footprint of the U.S. lobster fishery will also be critical to ocean planning efforts to minimize spatial conflicts with other ocean uses such as aquaculture, marine protected areas, and offshore energy development, as well as provide fishery managers tools to help maintain industry fishing grounds. Last, the efficiency of law enforcement efforts could be significantly improved with data to help enforcement officials locate widely dispersed gear in the offshore fishery. 

 

The Commission and its member states from Maine to Virginia will be conducting a series of hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addenda. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most hearings will be conducted via webinar; some hearings will be state-specific and others regionally-focused. Public hearing information, webinar links, and call-in information are below. Please note that in order to comment during the hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoToWebinar app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. Additional details on participating in the webinar can be found later in this release; this information is particularly important for those that have not used the GoToWebinar platform before.

Date State or Regional Hearing Contact(s)
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

 Connecticut and New York Colleen Bouffard (CT), 860.876.6881

Maureen Davidson (NY), 631.444.0483
Thursday, January 13, 2022 

 6:30 – 8 PM

 New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Joseph Cimino (NJ), 609.748.2020

John Clark (DE), 302.739.9914

Michael Luisi (MD), 443.758.6547

Patrick Geer (VA), 757.247.2236
Tuesday, January 18, 2022

6 – 8 PM

 Maine Department of Marine Resources

 

 Megan Ware (ME), 207.446.0932

 
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

6 – 8 PM

 Maine Department of Marine Resources

 

 Megan Ware (ME), 207.446.0932

 
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

 New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game

Note: This hearing will be held in a hybrid format. To virtually attend this hearing, please use this webinar registration link. To listen in only, dial1.415.655.0052 and enter 879-685-496.

You can also attend in person at the address below:

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, NH 03801

 

 Cheri Patterson (NH), 603.868.1095

 
Thursday, January 20, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

 Massachusetts and Rhode Island  Nichola Meserve (MA), 617.626.1531

Jason McNamee (RI), 401.222.4700
The Draft Addenda include two options for proposed management programs. The first is status quo or no changes to the current program, and the second is to implement electronic tracking requirements for federally-permitted American lobster and Jonah crab vessels with commercial trap gear area permits for Lobster Conservation Management Areas 1 through 5 and Outer Cape Cod. Under this option, the specified permit holders would be required to install an approved electronic vessel tracking device to their vessel prior to beginning a fishing trip to collect and transmit spatial data. The devices would collect vessel locations every minute, which would allow for the distinction between transiting and fishing activity, as well as the estimation of traps per trawl. The Draft Addenda also describe administrative processes at the Commission, state, and federal levels for successful implementation of the management program to ensure the data collected meet the needs of state and federal partners.

Webinar Instructions

To register for a public hearing webinar please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software (click here)or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing. Those joining by phone only, will be limited to listening to the presentation but will not be able to provide input during the hearing. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email, U.S. mail, or fax at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 1-877-309-2071 and enter access code 350-416-497.

The Draft Addenda are available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/LobsterDraftAdd_XXIX_JonahCrabDraftAdd_IV_PublicComment_Dec2021.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Members of the commercial fishing industry and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, webinars, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 31, 2022 and should be sent to Caitlin Starks, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Lobster Draft Addendum XXIX). For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks at cstarks@asmfc.orgor 703.842.0740.

Pingree Announces $500K in USDA Funding to Support Growing Aquaculture Industry in Maine

December 10, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree:

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to establish a comprehensive aquaculture workforce training system to support Maine’s rapidly growing aquaculture industry.

“Maine’s aquaculture industry is vital to our state’s economy but needs a skilled workforce to continue to grow and innovate. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute has developed a forward-thinking solution. This comprehensive, collaborative training program will train aquaculturists with in-demand knowledge and skills, helping students to secure good jobs and supporting the workforce needs of this important sector,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, I have long worked to secure funding for these NIFA grants, which have helped to launch many careers in the nation’s food and agriculture sector. This substantial NIFA award will help ensure Maine’s aquaculture industry reaches its full potential now and in the future.”

The funding will:

  • Help GMRI develop and pilot a Maine Department of Labor Aquaculture (ME DOL) Aquaculture Apprenticeship Program where participants will gain valuable experience, receive mentoring, get trained and tested on defined occupational competencies, and learn to use cutting-edge technology at Maine’s most sophisticated commercial shellfish and sea vegetable farms.
  • Develop and administer a series of stackable, credentialed, aquaculture short courses at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) that form the basis of an Aquaculture Certificate.
  • Update the Maine Aquaculture Occupational Standards for Shellfish and Sea Vegetables, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, and Marine Finfish to ensure that aquaculture workforce training remains relevant to Maine’s rapidly evolving and growing industry.
  • Coordinate program development and delivery between SMCC, Washington County Community College, The Mid-Coast School of Technology (K-9 Career Technical Education High School), and ME DOL Apprenticeship to establish matriculation pathways and dual-credit programs that enable fast-tracked degree completion.

The programming developed will have the potential to be expanded to other community colleges in Maine and throughout the Northeast.

In April 2021, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center in Walpole was awarded $500,000 from NIFA to develop an aquaculture workforce training pilot in partnership with Washington County Community College.

Pingree serves on both the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and the House Agriculture Committee.