Lobstermen voice concerns to DMR commissioner Keliher

First published in Landings, August, 2013.

Maine’s top fisheries manager, Commissioner Patrick Keliher, hit the road for four meetings in mid-July to update lobstermen on this year’s fishing season and to listen to their ideas and concerns. These meetings are part of the Department of Marine Resources’ (DMR) ongoing effort to keep open lines of communication with the lobster industry. The Governor’s Senior Natural Resources Policy Advisor, Carlisle McLean, attended the Scarborough meeting. This summer’s meetings were lightly attended, drawing approximately 200 attendees, compared to the 16 meetings held this winter which drew more than 1,500 lobstermen.

The Commissioner told lobstermen in Rockland, Machias, Ellsworth and Scarborough that he was there to talk to the industry about how to leave the fishery in better shape than it is now. He stated up front that he hears many concerns, but has found no easy solutions.

The most pressing issue, again, has been lobster prices. The Commissioner explained that the price has continued to erode since the world economic crisis in 2008. Both Maine and Canada have had huge landings since then. The difficult 2012 lobster season, marked by warm water, an early shed, record landings and the Canadian blockade of Maine lobster, led to the 16 meetings DMR held this winter. This winter’s agenda included a discussion of a tiered license system and the need to invest in marketing. While the meetings drew many ideas from individual lobstermen on how to improve things, they also revealed that there is no appetite for change among the industry as a whole.

Since then, DMR’s science staff has continued monitoring lobster populations and is keeping a close watch on environmental conditions. Keliher recently met with a group of Maine lobster dealers and processors who say that they are better prepared this season to deal with increased volume, compared to 2012.

Keliher has been in close contact with New Brunswick’s Minister of Fisheries, Michael Olscamp, about the Canadian lobster seasons. He stressed the administration’s commitment to make sure that Maine lobster continues to have unfettered access to Canadian processing plants throughout the year.

He raised a few eyebrows in the audiences when he explained that he has received reports that the Canadian industry is currently holding more than 20 million pounds in live inventory, and also has a considerable inventory of frozen product on hand. Keliher attended a conference in Canada in late July to continue discussions with Canadian officials.

Keliher told lobstermen that increasing Maine’s processing capacity continues to be a major priority for the administration. While the processing sector faces challenges in terms of workforce development and energy costs, the state is still receiving inquiries from companies interested in entering this sector.

Linda Bean, who attended the Rockland meeting, stated that securing reliable workers is difficult in the midcoast region. Her company would like to add a second shift, but is unable to obtain the necessary workforce.

The common complaint voiced by lobstermen at all of the meetings was their profound frustration over poor lobster prices. Many lobstermen expressed confusion that despite slower landings this year, the price is worse than what they were paid last year during the over-supplied market. Lobstermen at the Machias, Ellsworth and Scarborough meetings argued that dealers are working together to keep prices low, and no one is holding them accountable for their actions. At the Ellsworth meeting, lobstermen questioned whether the loss of smaller, independent dealers, which has concentrated buying power with just one or two major dealers, might be keeping prices low.

The Commissioner explained that the Attorney General’s office investigated such allegations in 2009, but were not able to make a case. Keliher told lobstermen that these sorts of cases are difficult to prove, but lobstermen should contact the Attorney General’s office if they have evidence of illegal activity.

The Commissioner stressed to lobstermen at each meeting that supply continues to outpace demand, citing the doubling of lobster landings over the last ten years. The new marketing initiative is designed to address this imbalance. Lobster prices along the coast are troubling, Keliher said, and require attention. Maine is in close contact with Canada, which has assembled a panel to look at how lobster prices are determined.

The Commissioner explained how the transition to the new marketing collaborative will take place. In October, the Maine Lobster Promotion Council will go out of business and the new Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative will take over. Keliher urged lobstermen to think of whom they want representing them in the new marketing collaborative. The harvester sector has four representatives who will be nominated through the zone councils.

Many lobstermen expressed hope that this marketing collaborative will change things for the better; others remain cynically convinced that this is just another useless effort to take money out of their pockets. The Commissioner assured lobstermen that if the new marketing collaborative is not successful, it will sunset in five years.

Keliher asked if lobstermen had seen a rise in the prevalence of shell disease. Less than 1 percent of Maine lobsters are found to have this disease. He said that in Southern New England, as much as one-third of the lobster catch has some sign of shell disease. Some research suggests that warm water stresses lobster and makes them susceptible to the bacteria that are already present on the shell. A few lobstermen commented that they had been seeing lobsters with shell disease, but the concern was not widespread among meeting attendees. Lobstermen in the western part of the state reported seeing greater numbers of these lobsters. DMR lobster biologist, Carl Wilson, told lobstermen that lobsters with shell disease can be landed. The DMR’s sea samplers are monitoring the disease prevalence through the sampling programs. However, lobstermen should alert the DMR if they see signs of shell disease on newly molted lobsters.

The commissioner queried lobstermen about the status of green crabs in local areas, stating that “Casco Bay is lousy with them.” Warmer water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine have lead to a green crab population boom. The concern is that the green crabs are decimating the populations of clams and crowding lobster traps. Lobstermen from most areas of the coast reported seeing increases of green crabs in deeper waters, but it was not a widespread concern.

Overall, only a few lobstermen offered insight on how to change things for the better. A lobsterman at the Scarborough meeting suggested that the Commissioner consider short closed seasons in the spring to allow lobsters a chance to harden up before they are landed. Lobstermen would then start up with a phase-in of traps to keep the marketing from being flooded. Others supported the Commissioner’s efforts to work with Canada and his commitment to meeting with the lobster industry.

Through these meetings, lobstermen vented their frustration over a broad range of issues from lobster price to gauge size, marketing fees and sinking rope to a lack of processing infrastructure. Though the meetings were lightly attended, the Commissioner has shown great patience and sincerity in listening to lobstermen’s concerns. He promised that the DMR will continue to hold meetings with the industry to finds ways to move forward.