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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.
EPA Tier 4 Emissions Rules Pose a Problem For Maine's Lobster Boat Builders
In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions rules for commercial marine vessels with engine power above 599 kW (803 hp) went into effect. Tier 4 refers to standards set by the EPA to reduce emissions of particulate matter (PM), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and other toxins from new, non-road diesel engines. Previously Maine lobster boats were subject to Tier 3 standards for their vessels. The regulations, however, may be an example of putting the cart befo
Dec 12, 20183 min read
The MLA Pushes NMFS For More Herring Quota in 2019
In late October, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) strongly urging it to use its discretion to set the 2019 Atlantic herring quota above the level recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council).The MLA urged NMFS to use the same methodology that the agency used for the 2018 in-season quota adjustment. In doing so, the agency would keep the probability of overfishing below 50%, but above
Dec 6, 20182 min read
Certain Lobster Trap Tag Fees Set to Increase
The Department of Marine Resources is notifying lobster harvesters that the fees for certain trap tags will increase by a small amount for 2019. The fee increase is to cover increasing costs associated with the purchase and administration of the trap tags, resulting from a new trap tag contract. There will be no increase in the cost of initial tags, or replacement tags which are available when no more than 10 percent of a harvester’s tags are lost. Each remains 50 cents per t
Dec 2, 20182 min read
Maine Lobster Processors Investing in the Future
According to recent news reports, several lobster processing companies in Maine are investing in new holding and processing facilities in the state. The largest among these new projects is that of Ready Seafood of Portland through their company Maine Seafood Ventures, currently located in Scarborough. The company, founded by brothers Brendan and John Ready in 2004, plans to construct a new $10 million lobster processing, storage and education center in Saco on 40 acres off Ro
Nov 30, 20183 min read
Take Reduction Team Meeting Update (Whale Meeting)
Maine was well represented at the Take Reduction Team in October meeting by Erin Summers from DMR, Patrice McCarron from the MLA and four lobstermen — Dwight Carver, John Williams, Kristan Porter and Mike Sargent). The Maine contingent worked well together and ably represented Maine’s position. It was a long four-day meeting and our lobstermen gave up a lot of time and lost revenue to be there. They were all amazing and deserve many thanks from everyone in the lobster industr
Nov 22, 20186 min read
Maine Lobstermen Key to Vital Data on Vertical Lines in Lobster Fishery
New regulatory measures for fixed gear fisheries aimed at reducing the rate of serious injuries and mortalities of North Atlantic right...
Nov 18, 20182 min read
Maine's Concerns Heard at Whale Meeting
Just a few days after the close of the October Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) meeting in Providence, RI, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that a third North Atlantic right whale had been found dead approximately 100 miles east of Nantucket. The death underscores the urgency of the discussions of the 50-plus member group of public and private organizations and agencies, whose task since 1997 has been to protect endangered larg
Nov 6, 20184 min read
Massive Canadian Buying of Lobster Keeping Prices Steady in Maine, Despite Loss of China Market
Reprinted with permission When the China lobster tariffs of 25% went into effect on July 6, many feared an immediate reaction in Maine leading to lower prices. That has not happened.During the first six months of this year, Lobster exports to China from Maine were booming. Many feared that the sudden cut off of these exports would crash the market.During the January to July period, Maine shipped 3 million lbs of live lobster to China in 2016, 5.6 million in 2017, and nearly 1
Nov 5, 20183 min read
Maine’s Newest Cooperative, Lobster 207 Making Waves
There’s a new lobster cooperative in Maine. Lobster 207, located in Lamoine, is operated by the Maine Lobstering Union, a local of the International Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union, which was established in 2013. The Union purchased the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound, a wholesale lobster distributor, in 2017 from fourth-generation owner Warren Pettegrew’s family for $4 million. Pettegrew remains the company’s chief executive officer of wholesale operations. “We’re
Nov 3, 20183 min read
Guest Column: Working waterfronts hold many roles in the state
In the early 2000s, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) submitted a report to the Maine State Planning Office’s Coastal Program called “Preserving Commercial Fishing Access: A Study of Working Waterfronts in 25 Maine Communities.” The investigators surveyed 25 coastal communities and created a “vulnerability matrix” to rate these communities. The higher the score (i.e., 6 or 7 rather than a 2 or 3), the more vulnerable the community to losing that waterfront. The highest-rated to
Oct 22, 20183 min read
NEFMC Decides On Amendment 8, Herring Quota Slashed
Can the Maine lobster industry survive a 70% reduction in herring? Lobstermen will find out next year as a result of sweeping changes to the herring management plan adopted by the New England Fishery Management Council in late September. The lobster industry will be put to the test when it faces a quota of only 14,558 metric tons in 2019. This is about half the quota allocated to inshore Area 1A in recent years. On September 25, the Council adopted Amendment 8 to the herring
Oct 16, 20184 min read
Long Island Lobsterman Grows Up With Whale Rules
Cameron Murphy, 26, started lobstering on Long Island when he was 13. He had five traps and was sponsored by local lobsterman Tommy Marr. His father is a merchant seaman and food processing engineer and his mother is a legal aid worker. Lobstering was not part of his family tradition, although living on Long Island, where his maternal grandmother’s family has resided for four generations, is. Murphy soon got his student license and expanded his gang of traps. His first boat w
Oct 14, 20183 min read
Brooks Trap Mill, MLA Team Up to Promote Maine Tradition of V-Notching
V-notching is a conservation practice that lobstermen have been employing since the early 20th century. Researchers of UMaine, NOAA and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute estimate that the increase in the Gulf of Maine lobster population in recent decades was more than double what it would have been without such conservation methods. Industry leaders want to ensure that newly licensed lobstermen understand the importance of vnotching in maintaining a sustainable lobster res
Oct 12, 20182 min read
Attention Lobstermen: DMR Fall 2018 ME-NH Inshore Trawl Survey Begins October 1
The fall groundfish trawl survey conducted by the State of Maine Dept. of Marine Resources is scheduled to begin October 1 in New Hampshire working east to Lubec. The ME/NH trawl survey provides valuable information for the management of important commercially harvested species. However, not completing all of the proposed tows could jeopardize the use of our data for state and federal lobster and finfish management. To address this, we will be stepping up our effort to move g
Oct 6, 20182 min read
Export-Import Bank Can Take The Uncertainty Out Of International Business Dealings
Maine is famous for delicious lobsters, and people all over the world crave these crustaceans. With such high demand, exporting is a great way to expand a business by increasing market size, providing the opportunity to sell to more buyers, and handle any oversupply as well. Plus, international buyers are often willing to pay more per pound than domestic consumers. While many business owners are interested in the opportunities offered by exporting, one common question arises:
Oct 2, 20182 min read
Bait Dealers Nervous About Herring Cuts
What do you do if your business sells bait to lobstermen and suddenly your highest volume product — fresh herring — is in short supply? You adapt. In recent years Maine bait dealers have faced sharp declines in the volume of herring landed due to a combination of reduced quotas and under-harvesting of the offshore quota, putting a kink in how they managed their businesses. In 2019 they will encounter the most significant drop in herring supply to date. Based on the Northeast
Sep 16, 20182 min read
400-Hundred-Year Tradition Under Threat In Portland
Would you like to live next to a pig farm? Or a rock and gravel pit? Probably not — the smell or the noise would make your quality of life poor. That’s why municipalities use zoning districts, to determine the kinds of uses to which properties within a district can be put. It allows residential, industrial, and commercial uses to co-exist with others of their own kind, making all at least theoretically happy. What happens, however, if multiple types of uses want to exist in t
Sep 14, 20186 min read
Maine DMR Awards Grants to Support Lobster Research
The Department of Marine Resources in July awarded six grants for research programs that will contribute to improved understanding of...
Aug 24, 20182 min read
Ocean Acidification May Affect Lobster Molt, Reproduction
The fact that the Gulf of Maine is warming more quickly than the majority of the world’s ocean regions is alarming enough. But with that...
Aug 12, 20184 min read
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