Gubernatorial candidates weigh in on lobster industry

First published in Landings, October, 2014.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association asked the three candidates for Governor of Maine to respond to ten questions that reflect current concerns of Maine lobstermen. The candidates took time from their busy schedules to do so, at length. Due to the limits of space, we can publish here answers to a few of those questions. The entire suite of questions and answers can be found on the MLA Web site, www.mainelobstermen.org.

What is your political philosophy on the role of government? What role should state government play in Maine’s commercial fisheries?

Governor Paul LePage: In general I am a strong believer in less regulation. When it comes to commercial fisheries, government’s primary job should be to ensure sustainable resources and long-term economic opportunity for Maine’s citizens. In doing so, government must create opportunity for fishermen to actively engage and have a voice in the decisions that impact them.

Mainers want a state government that is smart, entrepreneurial and effective, and they want to pay for it with taxes that are fair, equitable and efficient. They want their leaders at both the state and federal level to focus on solutions, not on scoring political victories.

Eliot Cutler: I am a fiscal conservative who believes that taxes should raise the least amount of money we need for public services and investment, in ways that are fair and equitable. I am also committed to making government operate more efficiently by: Getting rid of unnecessary and unfair regulations that deter private investment by adding costs, delays and uncertainties; Adopting an explicit, rational and fact-driven capital budgeting process that will make it more likely that capital investment decisions will be more strategic and less political, and that the capital projects in which Maine invests will be the ones that will yield the most return -- the highest financial rewards for Maine people, especially in terms of jobs and avoided costs; Putting in place zero-based budgeting for both appropriated funds and tax breaks; Implementing a standard for smart borrowing so that Maine can build a stronger economy by making long overdue investments in our infrastructure through the adoption of consistent standards for prudent state borrowing; Cutting local property taxes by 20 to 40 percent for the average Maine homeowner as a first step in my plan to reform the entire Maine tax structure; Making government smaller and better by cutting the number of political appointees.

I am committed to reform, to independence and to bringing every aspect of state government boldly into the 21st century. I am committed to making Maine a state where people want to live and where they can make a living, where your children will find opportunities that keep them here, and where other young people will arrive from all over the world to take advantage of the opportunities that we offer to them.

The State of Maine, through the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), should be responsible for managing our marine resources, conducting scientific research, and enforcing the rules and regulations that protect and maintain a healthy public resource. I do not believe that DMR should be involved directly in the economics of the fishing industry but should collaborate with other state agencies in efforts to improve the economic and competitive circumstances that affect the ability of fishermen to make a decent living.

Michael Michaud: I firmly believe that government needs to be a partner with communities, businesses and the people it serves. Government has an obligation to work with all people to protect the public interest, keep its promises and preserve this state for future generations to come.

When it comes to Maine’s resource-based industries, state government has two critical roles to play: protecting and enhancing our natural resources, and working to enforce important rules and regulations that ensure our resources are healthy for future generations.

Maine’s fisheries are an important economic facet of the state’s overall economy with many coastal towns depending on lobstering for their economic vitality. What can the governor and his administration do to protect our commercial fisheries and ensure the vitality of this key segment of the Maine economy?

Governor Paul LePage: As governor, I will continue to support a common sense approach to management that emphasizes input and participation from industry. In addition, I think it is critical to maintain a strong commitment to science and research, to make sure that management decisions are based on good information, and to marine patrol, to ensure an even playing field for all participants. In order to ensure long-term vitality of this sector, we need to plan for the future, and position the industry to be able to deal with any changes to the resource. Finally, we need to continue to provide the necessary resources through the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) to support business growth and development for commercial enterprises (for example, value-added seafood processing).

Eliot Cutler: As governor, I will have open and transparent relationships with my cabinet and their departments. Certainly in the case of DMR, we cannot separate management, science and enforcement – they all must work together in order for us to have ecologically and economically sustainable coastal and island communities. I believe there is considerable additional research that we need to do in order to properly manage our lobster resource and all of our marine species. In the case of lobster, I do believe that the annual trawl survey, the ventless trap survey, and the sea sampling program provide us with long term data sets through which to view and evaluate our success in managing the resource. I am also interested in exploring additional studies which will provide more insight into what is happening with our lobster populations in the face of rising water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, climbing sea levels, ocean acidification, the arrival of new, aggressive predators from the south, fishing effort, and other environmental or social pressures on the fishery. I believe we also need a fishery management plan for lobster that we can invoke in the event of a disaster.

I understand and appreciate the rude awakening that the Maine lobster industry and our coastal economies experienced in 2008 in the face of the worldwide economic crisis. I personally experienced the supply and demand issues that impacted the 2012 fishing season, when I was helping to develop a lobster export business. While the DMR is not tasked with managing markets, lobster businesses, or community economic sustainability, nor should those tasks be under their aegis, the agency should be in a position to inform and collaborate with other departments and agencies such as DECD, the Small Business Administration and Maine Office of Tourism when that is relevant.

Michael Michaud: A governor must make sure that fishermen and fishing families have a voice in both Augusta and Washington, and ensure that policymakers support fact-based regulations that preserve the resource and the strength of the industry for generations to come.A governor also has a role to play in promoting a friendly business climate in Maine and in promoting Maine products – like lobster – across the region, the country, and the world. In my Maine Made economic development plan and in my food policy plan, I've outlined several steps that I will take to protect and strengthen Maine’s coastal towns and vital fisheries for generations to come.

For example, as governor I plan to protect Maine’s working waterfronts and provide funds for investing in shoreside infrastructure such as holding and processing facilities. I plan to create two new “Protection Planning and Profits” (PPP) programs (one targeting farmland, one targeting working waterfronts) that couple land protection with business planning to enhance profits for farmers and fishermen; Review all policies and regulations that impact Maine’s agriculture and fishing/lobstering industries;

Invest in infrastructure development, particularly development of new food processing facilities or maintenance of old ones to meet growing demand.

These are just a few of my ideas of how to support and strengthen Maine’s fishing/lobstering industry.

What is your stance on Maine’s law which prohibits landing lobsters that have been caught by draggers?

Governor Paul LePage: As governor, my job is to try to balance the interests of all Mainers who seek to make their livelihood from the ocean. Toward that end, I was willing to advance a proposal by the groundfish sector for a very narrowly crafted change in law that would limit this activity to lobsters caught in Area 3. I was willing to do this because the alternative was for Maine boats to move to Massachusetts, and once they were no longer Maine registered vessels, they would have been able to drag in Area 1, and keep the lobsters they had caught there. Between the loss of the economic activity in Maine that those boats provided, and the potential for increased dragging in Area 1, I felt there was merit in a discussion about allowing Maine groundfish boats to land a limited amount of lobster (less than 1/10th of 1% of the annual lobster landings) caught only in Area 3. There was a healthy debate on the merits of that idea, and the Marine Resources Committee declined to advance the bill. Having had this conversation already, I do not intend to pursue any further changes on this topic while I am Governor.

Eliot Cutler: I think that one of the most unfortunate outcomes of the dragger-caught lobster discussions over the course of the last eight years is that the policy has pitted fisherman against fisherman. I do not believe in managing one species (groundfish) on the backs of another (lobster). Conservation and stewardship of the lobster industry have gone on for generations and the lobster industry still remains inefficient in its harvest methods by design – because it is good not only for our resource and the habitat, but also good for our coastal communities. The trap-only gear designation allows the harvest to be extremely selective, which has helped us protect our breeding population and juveniles and contributed to the sustainable lobster resource we have today.

I know that the MLA and the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance have worked to improve lobster quality over the last several years. The trap-only fishery also ensures that lobsters exit the trap alive and that – with proper handling – the quality will be maintained through the supply chain. That is not the case with a lobster that comes from a drag.

Lastly, there is little that we can do to change our geographic location to be in closer proximity to Georges Bank. The majority of the Gulf of Maine groundfish fleet is focused on that fishing area, and the investments made in infrastructure by New Bedford and Gloucester have induced more vessels to operate from those ports.

I want to see a diverse marine economy in Maine, and I want the groundfish fleet to be part of that diversity and that revival. But we have to be realistic about the resource at our doorsteps. We need to plan for fleet diversity, and we have a lot of work to do to achieve it.

Michael Michaud: I do not see any need for a change to this law.

In 2012, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute prepared a report for the Department of Marine Resources evaluating the current licensing system for lobstermen. DMR has since identified several key issues from that report: the extremely long waiting period in most lobster zones to obtain a license; the absence of younger lobstermen in the fishery; and the number of traps that potentially could be set in state waters, called latent effort. What are your thoughts on the current limited entry system for the lobster licenses? How would you address the key issues identified?

Governor Paul LePage: I know that licensing and entry issues are some of the most difficult and emotional issues that I hear about. I believe in the right to work, but I also understand that effort in this fishery remains a management concern, and a concern for the existing participants. Following the release of the GMRI report, Commissioner Keliher held meetings in many coastal communities up and down the coast, to present some of the findings in the report, as well as to get industry feedback on possible change. Based on that feedback, the Department didn’t advance any proposals, but committed to an ongoing discussion with the industry to identify ways to better position the industry in the future. Latent effort is a concern because there is so much of it, and if a large proportion were to be reactivated, it could have a significant impact on the resource. The Commissioner has recognized that the zones have been and will continue to be an important part of this conversation – there is no “one size fits all” approach, and the zones are the best way to incorporate regional differences in the fishery. There are no easy answers, but I am committed to a continued dialogue with the industry on these issues.

Eliot Cutler: Waiting five to ten years between completing an apprentice program and getting a license is no way to plan a career.I know that Commissioner Pat Keliher and his team have undertaken considerable outreach to the lobster industry in the last several years to discuss major policy issues and to listen to the concerns of lobstermen. I think we are on the right track, and while a lot of these future proposals and changes may be unpopular, we need to really start looking at the lobster industry with a long term vision and strategy.

We have nearly 40% latency in the fishery. If those traps started actively fishing, we could do considerable harm to the resource. I believe we need to tackle this issue first and work with industry to resolve latency. I believe the FMP is necessary for the long term stability of the lobster industry, with focus on the resource management and the ability for future generations to be able to access the fishery.

Michael Michaud: These are all very serious issues that deserve thorough discussion and analysis to solve – the future of the industry and a critical part of our state depend not only on addressing these challenges, but getting them right.

I would ask my DMR Commissioner to meet with experts from GMRI, the industry, fishermen, and fishing families to establish solutions to these concerns that ensure that both the industry – and fair and equitable participation in it – are sustainable.

The DMR is a relatively small state agency that is responsible for regulating a fishing economy that generates more than one billion dollars in economic activity annually. While its primary responsibility is that of resource management agency, it serves as an important economic development agent for the state. As the state struggles to stabilize and grow its economy, DMR’s budget has suffered constant erosion. What steps do you plan to take as governor that will support DMR and ensure that it remains effective in its critical responsibilities?

Governor Paul LePage: During the last budget cycle my goal was to get the State spending under control. Even with this goal, DMR was one of only a few agencies for which I supported a budget increase. I did this for the very reason you present in your question – I recognize this agency as one that supports economic activity. But because the state continues to face issues such as welfare expansion and the ever mounting associated costs that are spiraling out of control, it makes if difficult, if not impossible, to support the DMR budget at the level I would like. I will continue to get state spending under control so that as we develop the next budget, I will be more able to support funding for this agency, on the highest priority areas that are identified by Commissioner Keliher through Zero Based Budgeting. In order for DMR to remain as effective as it proven it can be, we must provide the resources necessary to enforce our marine laws, and support forward-thinking, responsive regulation that will protect our valuable resources and preserve economic opportunity.

Eliot Cutler: I will make DMR a priority. The commercial fishing resources on which we depend for our coastal and island economies are too critical for us to under fund or to ignore. I have experience in zero-base budgeting, and I am a person who believes in the need for appropriate research and data. I don’t want to see Hail Mary proposals thrown to the Lobster Research Education and Development Board for funding critical lobster research work as in years past.

Michael Michaud:  I recognize the critical importance of DMR to our state’s economy and I want to work with the Department and the fishing industry to make sure it is adequately funded. That being said, having served as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee and having written and worked on many state budgets, I also know that Maine’s fiscal house is a mess and the next governor will be inheriting a huge budget deficit because of budget gimmicks and unfunded tax breaks of the LePage Administration. As I’ve told every group and supporter who has asked me about specific funding in the State Budget, I cannot commit to a certain level of support until I have a full understanding of Maine’s fiscal situation and of the mess that the current administration has created.

If you had one thing you could say to Maine lobstermen today, what would you say?

Governor Paul LePage: Thank you for your hard work. Your efforts extend far beyond you and your own families to create close to a billion dollars of economic activity in Maine. I know that you see changes in your resource, and always wonder what the future will hold. As governor, I will always take a long term view for this fishery and will ensure that my Administration remains engaged on the issues that are important to the industry that is the backbone of our coastal economy.

Eliot Cutler: Thank you for your hard work and for your generational commitment to stewarding the resource. I look forward to working with you in my administration as we work to secure an even stronger future for Maine’s coastal and island communities. And thank you to the members and leaders of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association for your 60 years of dedication to the harvester sector.

Michael Michaud: Thank you for all of your hard work. As someone who worked in a mill for nearly three decades, I understand what it’s like to work an intensive job with nontraditional hours.  Maine’s lobstermen, their families, and their communities are the perfect embodiment of the Maine work ethic: they work hard, are fiercely independent, want to make sure that everyone who works hard has a fair shot. The vitality of the lobster industry is more than good economic sense – it’s ensuring that a critical symbol of our state is strong.  I am proud to call many lobstermen friends and I pledge that all lobstermen would have a friend in the Blaine House and a seat at the table if I am elected governor.