Tag Archives: Marine Patrol
An Update from Commissioner Keliher
Dear Industry Member, I’m reaching to share what’s been happening recently at DMR. It’s been a busy summer. CARES Act – Negotiations with NOAA on our CARES Act spend plan have finally been completed.,, Soon, we will be reaching out to you by mail and email with information on the application process. USDA Trade Relief, Federal Whale Rules, Aquaculture, Marine Patrol, and more. Like I said, it’s been a busy summer. But, despite the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 we have established remote operations and the work continues. We will keep sending these updates until we can gather in-person. Until then, stay safe. Pat. >click to read< 12:21
Friendship men accused of sinking lobster boat
A Knox County grand jury issued indictments Tuesday against nine people, including two Friendship men accused of stealing and sinking a lobster boat. Jason T. Weeks, 41, and Lyndon R. Harrington, 45, both of Friendship, were indicted Jan. 7 for aggravated criminal mischief and theft. The charges stem from the sinking Dec. 15, 2018, in Friendship of the 32-foot wooden lobster boat Rotten Hog, which is owned by Rodney Genthner II of Friendship. >click to read< 10:39
Lobsterman charged after boat collision
A schooner operated by a Portland tour company, and a lobster boat collided near the entrance to Customs House Wharf on Sunday evening, resulting in one arrest for boating under the influence. The lobster boat, Patricia Ann, was being operated by Russell N. Parmenter, 39, a lobster fisherman from Yarmouth. The bowsprit of the schooner, the Timberwind, was damaged. Both were attempting to enter their docking slips, said Maine Marine Patrol officer Alex Hebert. >click to read< 21:41
Men from Friendship charged with sinking fellow lobstermen’s boat
Two Friendship men have been charged with sinking a fellow lobsterman’s boat late last year. Jason T. Weeks, 41, was arrested,,, He is scheduled to make an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon, July 3 in the Knox County court.,,,Lyndon R. Harrington, 45, was arrested for aggravated criminal mischief and theft. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail. The two are charged in connection to the sinking of the Dec. 16, 2018 sinking of the 34-foot wooden lobster boat Rotten Hog. That vessel is owned by Rodney Genthner II. >click to read< 19:00
Body of Paul Brenner who went missing during blizzard found
The body of Paul Benner, who went missing Thursday while clamming, has been found according to Marine Resources who has been spearheading the search. Benner’s body was found in Long Cove by Marine Patrol Officers using side scan sonar. The body was recovered using a dive team and will be taken to the Medical Examiner’s office. click here to read the story 16:47
Lobsterman tagged for fishing untagged traps, faces 10 year suspension
The Marine Patrol has charged a Hancock County lobsterman, William Haas, 55, of Lamoine, with fishing more lobster traps than authorized, fishing untagged gear and fishing more traps on a trawl than allowed. Under legislation adopted earlier this year, Haas faces a suspension of his license of three to 10 years for fishing 44 more traps than the 800 allowed by law. The new law, LD 575, changed the penalty for fishing over the trap limit from a possible one-year suspension to a mandatory minimum three-year suspension with the possibility of a 10-year suspension. “The law change this past legislative session puts teeth in the penalties,” Department of Marine Resource Commissioner Patrick Keliher said in a statement announcing the charges against Haas last week. click here to read the story 14:31
Maine Lobstermen tired of conflicts, support bill to allow secretly installed tracking devices
Lobstermen fed up with cohorts who violate fishing regulations testified in favor of a bill to allow Marine Patrol officers to secretly install tracking devices on fishing vessels suspected of illegal activity without first obtaining a warrant. While a smaller faction opposed the bill, both sides agreed that Maine faces a growing “epidemic” posed by a small number of law-breakers fueling dangerous conflict and threatening the stewardship ethos within the state’s most valuable fishery. They also agreed that the Maine Department of Marine Resources needed more enforcement tools, but lobstermen differed on whether DMR’s commissioner should be allowed to authorize the installation of GPS tracking devices without getting a judge’s approval. click here to read the story 08:36
Marine Patrol seeks permission to bug boats that fish for “bugs”
Last November, the Marine Patrol charged a Spruce Head lobsterman with fishing 156 lobster traps more than the 800 he was authorized to fish. In October, a trap war between fisherman from Lobster Management Zones B and C reached such epic proportions that the state offered a $15,000 reward for information that could help the Marine Patrol with its investigation of incidents that, according to the Department of Marine Resources, had generated considerably more than $350,000 in lost gear. Zone B extends from Schoodic Point to Newbury Neck in Blue Hill Bay while Zone C stretches from Newbury Neck to Cape Rosier. Long before all that excitement came to public attention, DMR last April proposed legislation that would significantly expand the Marine Patrol’s authority to place electronic surveillance devices on commercial fishing boats surreptitiously, without first obtaining a search warrant from a judge or permission from the boat owner. Read the story here 08:42
