Tag Archives: lobstermen
Fishermen say new restrictions unfairly overlook cod caught in lobster traps
Emergency restrictions aimed at protecting plummeting cod stocks, set to go into effect Thursday in the Gulf of Maine, have some fishermen complaining that one group that routinely kills cod won’t be affected by the new rules – the region’s lobstermen. Read the rest here 07:38
No consideration given to lobstermen by Army Corps of Engineers Royal River dredging project
The Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the project, which is set to begin on October 14th, and last until April. Sediment will be removed from the mouth of the Royal River and will be hauled along a 15 mile stretch to a disposal site in Portland. All fishing gear along the hauling route has to be removed by next week, and some fishermen said they did not hear about the plans until Monday morning. Video, Read the rest here 12:55
Lobstermen in Maine are not happy about this’: Feds finalize whale-safe rules for lobster buoy lines
ELLSWORTH, Maine — Federal fisheries officials have issued the final version of a new rule aimed at protecting whales from getting entangled in fishing lines that connect surface buoys to traps on the ocean bottom. Read more here 06:06
3 lobstermen charged in connection with boat house fire
The State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested three men in connection with a fire two years ago that destroyed a boat house and a lobster boat inside . The fire involved a large Quonset hut boathouse; owned by Donald Simmons, a lobster fisherman. Read more here 05:20
Price pressures and national pride rankles lobstermen
“Something is seriously wrong, somebody’s getting a whole ton of money,” said Charles McGeoghegan, a Prince Edward Island lobsterman, referring to the wholesale price going down while the retail price at the grocery store has held near $15 per pound. “We know that the fishermen aren’t getting it,” McGeoghegan said. more@upi 15:29
Locals reflect on dying industry as Sound closes to fall lobster harvesting
A third-generation lobsterman, Matt DeMaula has patrolled Long Island Sound alongside his father and uncles for more than two decades. When he thinks back to his early days in the profession, the Mattituck native can recall some remarkable fall seasons. A combination of rising water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, pesticide runoff and nitrogen loading proved too much for the crustaceans, causing an extreme die-off in 1999, said Emerson Hasbrouck, senior marine environmental issues educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. more@thesuffolktimes 10:47
Fishermen host meeting about changes at Stellwagen Bank
Marshfield —Local fishermen are concerned about a Stellwagen Bank proposal that would eliminate a key fishing area from the region’s industry. According to the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association (SBCBA), a proposed Sanctuary Environmental Research Area (SERA) would shut down all bottom fishing on 55 nautical square miles of Stellwagen Bank. more@marshfieldmariner 13:41
Maine Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher holding four open meetings in July to hear from lobstermen
The meetings are scheduled for July 9 in Rockland, July 11 in Machias, July 16 in Ellsworth and July 17 in Scarborough. continued@wabi
1,000 lobster boats tie up to protest low prices
thechronicalherald – “We’ve got to stick together,” Dan MacDougall, president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Bonafide Fishermen’s Association, told the crowd. continued
Prince Edward Island Lobster price protest could spread
CBCNews – Most P.E.I. lobster fishermen remained tied up today in protest over low lobster prices, and the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association says the protest could spread across the Maritimes. P.E.I.F.A. executive director Ian MacPherson said this morning most fishermen are not on the water. A few sailed out of North Rustico Harbour, Savage Harbour, and a couple of ports in West Prince. continued
Lobster prices come in about $3: government continued P.E.I. fishermen tie up boats in lobster price protest continued
Letters to the editor: Boost in promotion boon to Maine lobstermen
Since 2008, lobstermen have been struggling to receive a decent price for our product. We’ve had many discussions on how to improve our current situation. This industry is poised to take a first step based on the will of the industry. continued
Warm ocean waters worry lobstermen
PORTLAND – Ocean temperatures have been higher than normal in the Gulf of Maine, creating worries among lobstermen that there could be a repeat of last spring’s early harvest that resulted in a market glut, a crash in the prices fishermen get and a blockade of Maine-caught lobsters in Canada. continued
Net bycatch: A ‘lifeline’ for some, a threat for lobstermen
AUGUSTA – A proposal to allow fishermen to keep and sell lobsters they scoop up in trawling nets has rekindled an old debate between those who hope to revive Maine’s groundfishing industry and lobstermen who guard the state’s most valuable fishery. continued
Effort to unionize Maine lobstermen attracts 250 potential members
STONINGTON, Maine — Lobstermen and union organizers are taking aim at an established industry group in an effort to form Maine’s first union for lobster harvesters. About 250 lobster harvesters have signed up for the union so far, and organizers have submitted an application for a charter with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, or IAM. continue reading
Maine Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee tables bill to reorganize lobster council
Lawmakers want more information about who in the industry will bear the brunt of funding for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. The cost is to be divvied up among various interest groups — from lobstermen who harvest the catch to those who sell, transport or process it. continue reading
Some lobstermen refuse to take bait on new surcharge – “Advertising directly benefits the dealers’ market,”
As legislators work on a plan to provide millions of dollars to market and promote Maine lobster by adding a surcharge to licenses, some lobstermen are balking at paying for an advertising campaign that they say will take money out of their pockets without giving them much in return. continue reading
Growing number of lobstermen looking to unionize, gain voice in Augusta
VINALHAVEN, Maine — Union-fished. It’s a slogan that has yet to, well, catch on — but if a growing group of lobstermen have their way, some of the state’s fishermen will join an international labor organization in a bid to have more clout in their industry. continue
Lobstermen share concerns about 2013 season – Glut of lobster expected next season – video
The commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources met with concerned fishermen in Scarborough and Bath on Wednesday. There was a great deal of concern, and there wasn’t an empty seat at either meeting. Seasoned lobstermen said prices for their catch in 2012 was so low that it was almost not worth pulling their traps. One lobsterman, who said he has been fishing the waters off Scarborough all of his life, said he’s not sure what anyone can do to change the trend and believed it’s a cycle like anything else. Read more
The Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative – Check it out before NOAA WIPES IT OUT!
The Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative was founded in 1990 to meet the needs of the local NH fishing community. The Co-op’s sixty plus members consist of ground-fishermen (catching cod, Pollock, haddock, flounder, etc.), lobstermen, lobstermen, and shrimpers.
YFC will be offering shares for the upcoming Northern Shrimp season. As a participant in the community supported fishery, you will support ecologically minded New Hampshire commercial fishermen and sustainably wild caught shrimp. Your shrimp will also carry the NH Fresh and Local brand which ensures that it was landed in NH and is the freshest available.
