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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.
Legislature Gets a Slow Start on Lobster Bills
First published in Landings, March, 2017 The first session of the 128th Legislature started slowly with regard to lobster-related bills. With more than 15 bills submitted that would affect the lobster industry, public hearings have been held on just three; eight bills had not yet been printed as of the end of February. On February 13, the Marine Resources Committee co-chaired by Senator Joyce Maker (R-Calais) and Representative Walter Kumiega (D-Deer Isle) heard testimony on
Mar 13, 20176 min read
Lobster Health Expert Returns to Maine in March!
“Quality is like a one-way gas tank. You can take the quality out of the lobster but it’s very hard to put it back in,” Lavallée said....
Feb 23, 20172 min read
Guest Column: What is the best way to spend a marketing dollar?
First published in Landings, February, 2017 The Super Bowl! Pats vs. Falcons. The big game is this month and I’m sure we will all be watching. But there is a bigger game going on outside the stadium, an expensive and important attempt to get attention from viewers for brands that different companies will display to the 110 million viewers in the U.S. They will pay about $5 million for 30 seconds of air time, and millions more to produce the commercial they hope will foster aw
Feb 8, 20174 min read
COLD WATER CORAL ZONES CONCERN LOBSTERMEN
Send a letter, which will be reviewed at the next available Habitat Committee or Council meeting. Attend a Habitat Committee or Council...
Feb 8, 20171 min read
COD ARE TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK
First published in Landings, February, 2017 The commotion about cod bycatch has died down since the Marine Stewardship Council wrongly estimated in 2013 that 177,000 cod broke the surface in lobster traps each year. At the time, the New England Fisheries Management Council was preparing for a vote to close new areas sensitive to cod spawning. The Council voted against the measure, 14-1, prompting a sigh of relief from lobstermen and a sigh of discontent from groundfishermen.
Feb 8, 20173 min read
SCRUBBING LOBSTERS RESULTS IN MULTI-YEAR SUSPENSIONS
In December, 2016, Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher suspended the lobster licenses of two men for removing the eggs from female lobsters. The violation is a Class D crime which, in addition to license suspension, is punishable by up to a year in jail and fines in excess of $1,000. The licenses of Dexter Bray, Jr. of Stonington and Philip Poland of Cushing have been suspended for six years as a result of separate investigations conducted earlier in t
Feb 6, 20171 min read
Uniform Double Tagging in the Works for 2017
Maine lobstermen will have to put a second tag on all traps set outside their local fishing zone starting next June. The Maine Department of Marine Resources Advisory Council approved a double-tagging proposal Thursday [November 10]. Fishermen in four of the state’s seven lobster management zones already had to put second tags on out-of-zone traps, but with this approval the double-tagging rule must now be followed by boat captains all along the state’s 3,500-mile coastline.
Dec 28, 20162 min read
Right Whale Report Card 2016
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, a coalition of more than 100 organizations and government agencies in the United States and Canada, released the 2016 Right Whale Report Card covering activities from November 2015 through October 2016. The report card, issued since 2004, includes updates on the status of the cataloged population, mortality and entanglement events, and a summary of current management and research efforts that have occurred over the previous 12 months
Dec 27, 20163 min read
The Public Wants to Know the Story of Maine Lobster - Guest Column
This just shows that we need to get the story out there and educate people about new-shell lobster because that’s what we mainly catch...
Dec 22, 20163 min read
DMR Moving Forward On Zone Transfer List
It’s difficult to become a lobsterman in Maine. The days when you could head out in your boat, haul a few traps and come back to the dock by noon are long gone. Maine residents who wish to lobster must complete a 1,000-hour apprenticeship program, apply for a commercial license, then put their name on a list for the specific area, or zone, in which they wish to fish. Each zone has specific rules for how many new lobstermen can fish in that zone in the coming year, rules that
Dec 21, 20163 min read
What happens when you or your boat can't go haul?
By state law, only the captain of a Maine lobster boat is licensed to operate his or her boat to harvest lobsters. That owner-operator provision is one of the hallmarks of the Maine lobster fishery. But what happens if that licensed lobsterman becomes ill or if the boat itself breaks down? Under Department of Marine Resource (DMR) regulations, if a lobsterman can’t haul due to medical reasons, he or she can go to the local Marine Patrol Officer to get permission for another l
Nov 27, 20162 min read
New feed requirements for lobster pound owners
Due to a new federal rule to protect human health, medicated feed for lobsters will be harder to get as of January 1, 2017, except for those who plan ahead. Lobster pound operators who use medicated feed to prevent shrinkage due to diseases like gaffkemia (red tail disease) will only be able to use medicated feed when it is prescribed by an attending veterinarian. Fortunately, Maine has a number of veterinarians experienced in aquatic animal health. Why the new rule? In short
Nov 20, 20162 min read
New England ahead of West Coast on carbon control
GUEST COLUMN To the Editor: I’ve been a commercial salmon fisherman on Kodiak Island since 1969. My brothers make their living fishing Bering Sea crab and Bristol Bay salmon. Our family was commercial fishing in Alaska since before statehood. We also own and operate an engine-generator business in Seattle, Marine Engine Repair Co. We build work boat engines and generators for the commercial fishing and tug boat fleets on the West Coast. Our past, present, and future is tied t
Nov 18, 20164 min read
Bumpy Road to Zone C Closure
The Council holds a Zone Council Meeting and may initiate the process to make the Zone Limited Entry by voting for a written survey of...
Nov 16, 20163 min read
Preparing for the future
The motion is intended to pull together existing information and to gather new data which will provide state and regional fisheries...
Sep 12, 20162 min read
THE FISH EVERYONE WANTS
The allocation of herring remains a bone of contention in New England. In this article, the second in our series on herring, Landings...
Aug 3, 20166 min read
Deep Sea Coral Amendment Moves Forward
First published in Landings, July, 2016 During its April meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council reviewed and adopted the Habitat Committee’s recommendations for updates to previously adopted alternatives in the Deep Sea Coral Amendment. The Deep Sea Coral Amendment is a measure designed to protect deep sea corals which are found at depths of 50 meters and below, provide shelter for managed fishes and their prey, and are slow growing. At the April meeting, the Cou
Jul 26, 20162 min read
Penobscot Bay hydrographic survey begins in July
Published in Landings, July, 2016. Fugro, the world’s largest integrator of geotechnical, survey, subsea and geoscience services, will be conducting a NOAA-commissioned multibeam and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) hydrographic survey in highly trafficked and fished areas of Penobscot Bay this summer. Multibeam echosounder surveys are generally conducted in response to requests by marine pilots, port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard, fishermen, and the general boating co
Jul 15, 20162 min read
The fish everyone wants
First published in Landings, July, 2016. Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus ) is a fat, oily little fish that has long been the mainstay of Maine lobstermen’s bait. It congregates in large schools off the East Coast each year, eventually migrating up the coast and offshore into the Gulf of Maine. Today herring are fished for lobster bait and fish oil. Yet increasingly they are also recognized for the role they play in the marine food web, as prey for other creatures. Manageme
Jul 6, 20165 min read
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