Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Says "Show Us Your Bass!"

By Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association staff

Black sea bass have long been visitors to the Gulf of Maine, but many fishermen say they have seen them more frequently in their traps over the last ten years. The formal surveys that track black sea bass populations are still playing catch-up, so it is hard to determine if that trend marks a population shift that eventually could sustain a fishery.

Currently, Maine has access to only a fraction of the coastwide quota set by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council — about 0.5%. To stay within this limit Maine only allows fishing with hook and line and there is a daily limit of 50 pounds. This just isn’t enough for most commercial fishermen.

The problem? We have a huge data gap. The state’s inshore trawl surveys often miss these fish because bass love structured, rocky habitats where trawls don’t fish. And Maine has no landings data from commercial or recreational fisheries. This means that the real story of black sea bass — a story that fishermen are experts in — isn’t being shared with scientists or managers.

The solution? You! If you catch a black sea bass in a lobster trap, a trawl net, or on a line send a photo to the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA).

Working in partnership with Manomet, MCFA has launched a collaborative project to build a dataset generated by fishermen, for fishermen. This data won’t immediately be used in stock assessments, but it is how we will begin to build a case for a Maine fishery and prepare seafood businesses to buy Maine’s future catch.

How to Pitch In (and Get Swag)

Contributing is easy and takes just a few minutes.

• Take a Photo: Keep the fish as straight as you can.

• Size it: Use a reference for size in the background — a lobster gauge, a ruler, or even the mesh of your trap works perfectly!

• Upload: Go to tinyurl.com/MEBlackSeaBass (or scan the QR code) and fill out the quick form (location, depth, and date). You can do this right in the moment or when you get back to shore.

• Bonus: If you provide an email, MCFA will send you some exclusive “Show Us Your Bass” swag.

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Never Seen One?

Black sea bass are blackish-brown with white spots on the dorsal fin. During spawning, the big “alpha” males turn a striking electric blue and develop a bump on their heads (a nuchal hump). They are usually under two feet, but they’re hard to miss!

Keep the QR Code Handy

Want a waterproof business card with the QR code to keep in your wallet or wheelhouse? Email Hannah McDonald, MCFA’s Director of Policy and Innovation, at Hannah@mainecoastfishermen.org. She’ll pop one in the mail for you or send you flyers to hang at your wharf or bait house. She can answer any questions too.

While we’re focused on bass, we want to see the other “weird” stuff coming up in your traps, too. If it looks out of place for Maine waters, snap a photo and send it in!