Lobster limited entry licensing update

First published in the MLA Newsletter, October, 2012.

Earlier this year, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) hired the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to evaluate the current lobster licensing system in Maine. Their evaluation is due to DMR October 15th with findings about what does and does not currently work in the licensing system and recommendations on how to correct existing issues. Alexa Dayton, lead investigator for GMRI said she has been pleased with the amount of industry feedback obtained through responses to a mail survey and attendance at regional listening sessions. “It’s been a nice surprise to have such great turnouts [for the listening sessions], considering the way the season has been and how difficult it is for people to make meetings,” Dayton said. “We had 25% of the surveys we sent out returned. That’s huge since the typical industry response is 10% to 12%.”

GMRI held eight listening sessions along the coast this summer with the number of participants ranging from ten to seventy. “All groups were represented,” Dayton noted. “The response was split between current license holders and people on waiting lists.” She said there were great discussions at each session with most people in attendance participating. “To date, I’ve also conducted 75 personal interviews with lobstermen,” Dayton said. “Now we are just trying to digest all of the information we have gathered.”

Dayton said there were a few key issues repeated at every listening session. The length of the waiting list in most zones, according to meeting participants, is unreasonable. Another concern was that the study would result in further trap reductions for existing license holders to accommodate new entrants. Many people were also worried about an increase in effort on the water and the potential effects of latent licenses on the current effort. And finally, many participants voiced concern about student licenses and the process by which students under 18 years old enter the fishery. Comments about this concern ranged from the student’s preparedness to join the industry to young people making good life choices when it comes to work and education.

On top of the input from Maine lobstermen, Dayton said they have been researching licensing systems in other trap fisheries, such as in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Canada, Rhode Island and Connecticut. “We’ve also looked at systems in the Florida spiny lobster fishery and the New Zealand rock lobster fishery. We’re looking for lessons learned from these other systems to see what has and has not worked for them,” Dayton explained. Dayton acknowledged, though, that what works in New Zealand is not guaranteed to work for Maine. “We have to put it all in context of Maine. But every region in Maine is different. How do you create something that’s flexible enough for that diversity?”

Upon receiving the report from GMRI on October 15th, DMR will review the recommendations and work with the industry to ensure that all pros and cons associated with potential system revisions have been considered. A final recommendation will then be presented to the Legislature in January. “We have one more listening session at the Stonington Town Hall on October 3rd,” said Dayton. After that meeting, people are still welcome to make comments to GMRI by phone or email.