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L A N D I N G S
NEWS & VIEWS FROM MAINE'S LOBSTERING COMMUNITY
In January 2013, the MLCA launched Landings, a monthly newspaper which balances
its content amongst science, history, resource sustainability, economic development,
and human interest stories. Through Landings, MLCA educates the public and lobster
industry stakeholders about the unique characteristics of Maine’s lobstering traditions,
its history and heritage, ongoing research to maintain the sustainability of the resource,
and its non-harmful and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices.
Distributing more than 6,500 copies of this 24+page publication free via mail each
month to all of Maine’s commercial lobstermen, state government agency staff, elected
state officials, Congressional delegation, subscribers, marine businesses; and to the
public at various locations around the state including ferry terminals, marine supply
stores and annual educational forums.
Steaming Ahead
It has been a hell of a year for right whales. As I write this, eight right whales have been found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence so far this summer. Necropsies conducted by researchers on six of the whales attribute three deaths to ship strikes, one to entanglement in snow crab gear, and one remains undetermined. One necropsy is still pending. In addition to these mortalities, there have been six entangled right whales in 2017. Fortunately, three were successfully disentan
Aug 13, 20174 min read
high mortality among right whales in Gulf of st. lawrence
First published in, Landings, August 2017 This has been a deadly summer for the endangered North Atlantic right whale. In June and July, eight right whales were found dead in the area around the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Preliminary findings from necropsies performed on the whales by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) indicate that three of the whales showed evidence of ship strikes. Another whale had become entangled in snow crab gear
Aug 9, 20172 min read
guest column: Music, lobster and ........ disruption!
First published in, Landings, August 2017 The first album I ever bought was Led Zeppelin IV. I remember bringing it home and playing “Black Dog,” “Rock & Roll,” and “Stairway to Heaven” until I wore out the grooves. Since then I have lived through a revolution in music delivery. From eight tracks and cassettes to CDs, many of us have bought the same music, over and over, to listen to on different delivery systems. We did it for the convenience and the improved fidelity of t
Aug 7, 20174 min read
Alewife Harvesting
First published in Landings, August, 2017 “So many they turned the water black,” “hundreds of barrels in a single tide.” These are quotes describing river herring migrations 75-100 years ago. River herring are alewife and blueback herring, small bait fish related to Atlantic herring. They are anadromous, meaning they swim into freshwater to spawn and both adults and juveniles later return to the sea. They once frequented nearly every stream and river of the Atlantic coast.
Aug 7, 20173 min read
In the News: NOAA recommends grants to Maine marine projects
• The Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research and Education, $278,000 for demonstrating aquaculture technologies designed to...
Jul 26, 20171 min read
In the News: maine Elver fishery again profitable
Reprinted in Landings, July, 2017 Maine elver fishermen harvested more than $12 million in elvers during the 2017 season which ended in early June. When the season ended, 9,282 pounds of elvers had been landed, just 334 pounds less than the state quota. Maine’s 1,000 or so licensed elver fishermen on average earned just above $1,300 per pound this year, keeping the average price above $1,000 per pound for the fifth time in the past six years. The highest average price was i
Jul 26, 20171 min read
Maine lobstermen exempt from coral closures
Outer Schoodic Ridge – The Council adopted a discrete coral protection zone for this area where bottom-tending mobile gear (trawls and...
Jul 24, 20172 min read
Lobster Enforcement laws strengthened in response to industry concerns
First published in Landings, July, 2017 On June 14, Governor Paul LePage signed into law LD 575 An Act To Improve the Enforcement of Maine’s Lobster Laws. Because this law is now in effect, it is important that every license holder is aware of the changes it makes. This legislation strengthens the laws that exist to manage and sustain Maine’s lobster resource for the benefit of all license holders. “I want to commend the lobster industry for initiating these changes, and su
Jul 24, 20172 min read
maine halibut fishery under scrutiny
First published in Landings , June, 2017 No doubt about it, halibut are big fish. Henry Bigelow, traversing the Gulf of Maine in the early 1900s, noted that halibut landed by commercial fishermen had reached up to 600 pounds. Today the fish rarely grow greater than 100 pounds. No matter the size, the halibut fishery in Maine has taken an upward trajectory in recent years, increasing from 33 million pounds landed in 2010 to more than 107 million pounds in 2016. The rise in lan
Jun 20, 20174 min read
guest column: Challenges ahead for Maine Marine Patrol
First published in Landings , June, 2017 Maine Marine Patrol Officers have had a busy and productive winter. Although it’s been a cold spring, now that the weather has warmed up officers will begin shifting from monitoring spring fisheries — elver and smelt — to lobster, shellfish and herring enforcement. The year ahead promises to have many challenges and again we will be asking fishermen to help us to meet these head-on. Most of our small vessel fleet is back on the water
Jun 20, 20174 min read
Lobster Law Enforcement Takes Center Stage
The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) has made it possible for lobstermen in this state to say with confidence that “crime does not pay.” L.D. 575 An Act to Improve Enforcement of Maine’s Lobster Laws is anticipated to be passed by the Maine Legislature in June. It will likely have an emergency preamble, which would go into effect upon the Governor’s signing so its provisions will be in place for this summer’s fishing season. The bill will make penalties for breaking marin
Jun 16, 20174 min read
New Head of National Marine Fisheries Service
NMFS has a new leader as of June 19. Chris Oliver of Anchorage, Alaska, was named assistant administrator for the service, leaving his 16-year post as executive director of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Oliver will take the reins from interim director Sam Rauch. “I look forward to leading NOAA Fisheries and working with our partners to rebuild U.S. fisheries and conserve and recover protected resources where necessary, promote domestic marine aquaculture produ
Jun 1, 20172 min read
Steaming Ahead: Maine Lobstermen's Association Update
First published in Landings, May, 2017 It’s been a crazy spring and the busiest few months I have experienced in my 17 years with the MLA. The volume and seriousness of the issues that our lobster industry faces seem unending. Things really took off after the forum in March. The MLA conducted a lobster quality tour, took a bus of industry members to the International Seafood Expo in Boston, attended New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) herring meetings, attended a c
May 22, 20174 min read
guest column: Small boat scallopers now in a state of limbo
First published in Landings, May, 2017 The first of March marked the opening of the 2017 federal scallop fishing season and already the shells are flying. 2016 had the best scallop landings in over 20 years in the Gulf of Maine. If you combine state and federal landings, almost a million pounds came out of an area that only 11 years ago, produced less than 100,000 pounds. This is an extraordinary turn around considering the value of scallops, something that Maine must embrace
May 12, 20175 min read
guest column: Challenges ahead for Maine Marine Patrol
First published in Landings, May, 2017 As we leave winter behind, officers in the Maine Marine Patrol are shifting gear from winter fisheries to spring activity — primarily that means elvers from late March through May. Officers find themselves working many nights and often adjusting their sleeping habits to sleep during the day. With the arrival of good weather, officers will be getting the department’s small vessel fleet active in order to monitor inshore activity such as l
May 12, 20173 min read
What to Do About Bait Supply?
Lobstermen throughout New England are concerned about the supply and cost of fish species used for lobster bait in the coming years. Haddock bycatch restrictions put in place by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) caused the overall supply of that bait to constrict. In 2016, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and later the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), put measures put in place in to ensure a consistent supply of herring through th
Apr 27, 20174 min read
Coral Zone Measures Moving Fast
Terry Stockwell, Department of Marine Resources (DMR) external affairs director and vice-chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), addressed a very interested audience at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum about the Council’s proposed Deep-Sea Coral Amendment, which would place four areas of the Gulf of Maine off-limits to fishermen. Two of those areas — Outer Schoodic Ridge and Mt. Desert Rock — are fished by Maine lobstermen. The goal of the proposed Amendmen
Apr 20, 20174 min read
Lobster Bills Progress Through Maine Legislature
The Marine Resources Committee got to work in earnest on lobster bills during March. Public hearings have been held on 13 lobster-related bills. As of March 22, one bill has been approved by the Committee and four have been rejected. Additional public hearings and work session are being scheduled weekly. Governor LePage announced at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum that he no longer supported increases in marine license fees to fill the Department of Marine Resources’ (DMR) budge
Apr 20, 201710 min read
another good year for maine lobstermen
Demand for lobster is up The strong price for Maine lobster reflects a continued increase in demand for Maine lobster. In 2016, Maine...
Apr 5, 20172 min read
Guest Column: The Fine Points of Double Tagging
First published in Landings, March, 2017 Recently, it has been brought to the department’s attention that there is some confusion as to how the new double tagging requirement will work for the upcoming lobster season. Those fishing in zones F and G or B and C likely already have some experience working within this process since double tagging, or the use of secondary zone tags, is already in place there. So what does this change mean to everyone else? Take the time to read t
Mar 14, 20173 min read
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