Tag Archives: Commissioner Patrick Keliher
Lobstermen alarmed at prospect of sharing their secrets with regulators
For generations, Maine lobstermen have fiercely guarded their fishing secrets, telling almost no one how and where they fish or how much they haul up in their traps. But under a new proposal, these independent operators would have to share all the nitty-gritty details with regulators, like where they fish, how long they let their traps soak, the kind of gear they use and how deep they set it, and how much lobster they land. click here to read the story 08:35
Maine: Keliher calls special meeting to discuss trawl limit proposal
When members of a lobster management council here voted last month to change the maximum allowed number of traps on a trawl in part of the territory they represent, they thought they were off and running and a public hearing for a new Department of Marine Resources proposed rule reflecting the change would be scheduled soon. They learned different at a special Zone B Council meeting Dec. 20 at Mount Desert Island High School called by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher to discuss the issue. click here to read the story 10:58 
Maine Elver lottery gets under way Wednesday
For the first time in more than four years, a few new Maine residents will get a chance to participate in the elver fishery. On Wednesday, the Department of Marine Resources will open a lottery for at least seven new licenses to be issued for the 2018 elver fishery. The season begins on March 22. Each new license holder will be allotted a minimum of 4 pounds of the state’s aggregate elver quota. Based on the average price for the 2017 season that ended in June, that would be worth some $6,000. click here to read the story, details, and good luck! 17:18
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’s most fertile scalloping ground to close on Sunday
Fishing regulators are shutting down Maine’s most productive scallop fishing grounds for the season to protect the valuable shellfish. Cobscook Bay is the most important scalloping area along the Maine cost. Maine marine resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher says it needs to be shut down for the season on Sunday to make sure it stays fertile. Maine’s scallop season runs from December to April, but the closure of Cobscook typically represents a slowing down of the season. The state frequently shuts down scalloping areas early to conserve them for future years. Maine fishermen harvested more than 530,000 pounds of scallops in 2016. That was the second-most productive scallop fishing year in the state since 2001. (AP) link 11:18
Maine lobstermen oppose increase in cost of commercial fishing licenses
A proposal to increase the cost of commercial fishing licenses to fund scientific research in a lean budget year is drawing fire from Maine lobstermen. Julie Eaton, a 30-year lobster boat captain from Deer Isle, told a legislative panel at the State House on Friday that a 30 percent increase in lobster license fees would be too much on top of all the other costs of doing business, ranging from $125 to replace lost traps to $185 for monthly oil changes to bait bills that have doubled in the last year alone. The Maine Department of Marine Resources is seeking to increase lobster license fees about 30 percent, which would generate roughly $600,000 in new revenues. That money would be used to expand state lobster research and protect other department units, like the Maine Marine Patrol, despite budget cuts ordered by Gov. Paul LePage to offset the anticipated effect of a new minimum wage law and state school spending initiative. Continue reading the article here 09:24
Commercial Fisherman Andy Mays given the first DMR Excellence Award. Congratulations, Andy!
Andy Mays is not often at a loss for words. But when the Southwest Harbor lobster fisherman and scalloper was called up on stage at the Fisherman’s Forum banquet earlier this month to receive a new award from Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher, he was caught off guard. “I’m speechless. I think this is the first time I’ve ever been speechless,” he said. The DMR Excellence Award, presented for the first time this year, recognizes industry members who participate with the department to ensure a sustainable future for Maine’s commercial fisheries. Mays was honored for his 25-plus years of service and participation on DMR advisory councils. A great story about a great guy. Read the rest here 14:41
Maine Lobstermen pack Augusta hearing on controversial proposed licensing changes
Seth Morrissette works as a sternman on a lobster boat out of Friendship. He came to the podium at the Legislature’s Marine Resources committee, Wednesday, carrying his 3-year-old son, Levi, on his shoulders. His voice cracking, he told the lawmakers that his son would get his lobster license before he did. Morrissette was among a group who testified in support of a series of changes that would, in the words of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher, “strike a difficult balance” between 5,800 current license holders and the nearly 300 on a long and unpredictable waiting list. Read the article here 21:21
Lobster Advisory Council opposes limited lobster licenses
As a Feb. 10 hearing before the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee nears, Maine lobstermen continue to debate a bill that would tweak the system by which commercial lobster licenses are issued. The proposals included in the bill were first presented to industry members in a round of town hall-style meetings hosted by Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher during the summer and fall. The ideas have also been discussed in meetings of the state’s seven regional . Read the article here 08:54
Maine DMR closes Gouldsboro Bay and other areas to scallop fishing
The Maine scallop fishing season opened on Dec. 1 and, less than two weeks later, Department of Marine Resources closed it down in large areas of Downeast waters. Last week, DMR announced that, as of Sunday, scallop fishing in Gouldsboro and Dyer bays in Hancock County and Wohoa Bay, the Jonesport Reach and the department’s Inner Machias Rotational Area, all in Washington County, are done for this season. According to DMR, Keliher shut the fishery down in those areas “in order to protect Maine’s scallop resource due to the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion.” Read the article here 08:29
Lobstermen, DMR talk state of lobster fishing
“We realize a fairly large amount of people want to transfer from other zones, and we are looking into that,” Keliher replied. Lobsterman Steve Taylor, of Kittery, said “I’m sorry if this is going to offend people, but what about the people who are on the waiting list that already have a cushy job somewhere and just want to make extra money lobstering? That worries us. We depend on this for out living. Everything else in the industry has been taken away.” Read the rest here 17:46
Scallop conservation measures announced for Cobscook Bay region
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher announced short-term scallop management measures Thursday for the Cobscook Bay area that will allow fishermen to continue harvesting three days a week. However, the season may still be shortened. Read more@bdn 22:46
MAN! That was fast! Maine closes six scallop grounds for season to protect resource – Video
HALLOWELL, Maine — Six areas along the Maine coast where scallops had been allowed to be caught on a limited basis were closed to harvesting, effective immediately, for the remainder of the season. The closure was announced Saturday by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Commissioner Patrick Keliher has the authority to impose emergency closures for up to 90 days. Read more@bdn 13:48
Fishermen Down East upset over Department of Marine Resources pending plans to curtail scalloping
The meeting in the Whiting Community Center was standing room only, with about 100 fishermen present. They did not take the news well, and at times there were testy exchanges between fishermen and Patrick Keliher, commissioner of the state Department of Marine Resources. Read more@bdn 22:08
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