Tag Archives: maine
REMINDER: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Chapter 25.76 Lobster Minimum Size
Attention all lobster harvesters and dealers: The Maine Department of Marine Resources has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for: Chapter 25.76 Lobster Minimum Size. A brief summary: This proposed rulemaking incorporates the minimum lobster size required by Addendum XXVII: Increasing Protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Spawning Stock that was originally approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in May 2023. In October 2024 Addendum XXXI postponed the implementation of certain measures from Addendum XXVII to July 1, 2025. For compliance with the current Interstate Fisheries Management Plan, this regulation implements changing the minimum size of lobster from 3 ¼ inches to 3 5/16 inches, effective July 1, 2025. >>CLICK TO READ<< the full notice. 14:25
Retired Lobsterman Arnold “Joe” Alvin Nickerson III of Kennebunkport, Me. has passed away
Arnold “Joe” Alvin Nickerson III peacefully passed away on December 25, 2024, at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough. He was a loving father who cherished his grandchildren, a caring brother and uncle, and admired by all who knew him. Joe was born on December 8, 1934, in Amherst, MA, to Arnold and Anna (Ashman) Nickerson Jr. He grew up in North Amherst, MA, helping on the Ashman family farm. His Uncle Stanley nicknamed him “Hey Joe,” and the name stuck. He shared a special bond with his Lithuanian grandmother, Caroline “Bobute” Ashman. Summers often found him in Cape Porpoise, visiting his grandparents Arnold Sr. and Verna (Fisher), where his love for the ocean began. By age five, he was lobstering with his father and grandfather. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:50
The Dark Side “Green” Energy Make Nuclear Power the Obvious Choice for Maine’s Future
Maine has been treated to a near non-stop barrage of demands that we acquiesce to the lucrative demands of the Nuclear Power and solar panel lobbies for the sake of saving the environment. As the 132nd Legislature begins to consider the likely slew of proposals related to industrialized Nuclear Power and a further expansion of the farm-land devouring solar subsidy program, we must keep in mind the health implications as well as the theoretical benefits. As a member of the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee, I am compelled to highlight the potential risks these technologies pose to our environment and public health, risks that demand a serious reconsideration of Maine’s current energy policies. Offshore wind turbines, often hailed as a green solution, are shedding microplastics into our marine environments. In some cases, such as with the recent 300-foot Vineyard Wind turbine blade that exploded near Cape Cod, the pollution is obvious. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< by Reagan Paul 10:27
With right-wing backing, New England offshore wind opponents gain strength
Jerry Leeman III is a fifth generation Maine fisherman and looks the part: broad shoulders, muscular hands, scraggly black beard with streaks of gray. Sitting at the head of an empty boardroom table in his South Portland office, he rails against the buildout of offshore wind currently getting underway in the Northeast. Leeman has read the government’s environmental assessments, and he’s heard scientific experts say turbines won’t destroy the marine ecosystem — but he doesn’t trust them. Plenty of fishermen in the Northeast feel they’re being squeezed out of existence by federal regulations and offshore wind development. But Leeman has a bigger platform than most. He founded and now leads the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, better known as NEFSA. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:18
Midcoast Maine organization awarded grant to tackle abandoned fishing gear cleanup
It’s a mission for cleaner oceans- a large grant awarded to one midcoast organization in Maine, will go towards the cleanup of lost fishing gear in Maine waters. The president of OceansWide, Buzz Scott, says this cleanup is a step in the right direction in clearing the state’s ocean floors. “We want to make it possible for the fisherman to continue fishing for generations to come,” said Scott. The Newcastle non-profit is taking on a 5-week mission to clean up abandoned fishing gear around Vinalhaven island. OceansWide is one of 11 organizations awarded a grant for the project through the National Fishing Trap Removal Program. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:39
Moratorium on fishing Maine shrimp to continue through 2025
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section is maintaining the current moratorium on northern shrimp fishing through the 2025 fishing year. That makes 11 years of no commercial shrimp fishing in Maine. That action followed the 2024 Stock Assessment Update, “which indicates the northern shrimp stock has been at low levels of biomass for over the past decade despite the fishery being under a moratorium since 2014,” said the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in a Dec. 13 news release. The Update found no improvement in stock status and 2023 summer survey indices of abundance, biomass, and recruitment were the lowest in the 1984-2023 time-series. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:32
Capping marine mammal harassment constrains offshore wind
Prior to approving offshore wind development NOAA routinely authorized the loud noise harassment of large numbers of whales under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). New research by Professor Apostolos Gerasoulis shows that this harassment is causing a lot of whale deaths. For example, it is known to cause deafness which can easily be deadly. But harassment need not cause deafness to cause death. Offshore wind arrays that occupy a hundred square miles or more are typically built in low ship traffic areas with high traffic nearby. Harassment can simply cause the whales to avoid the low traffic area and spend more time in heavy ship traffic leading to an increase in deadly collisions. The same is true for lightly versus heavily used fishing areas where avoidance leads to increased entanglement. Ship strikes and entanglement are the two leading causes of whale deaths. Ironically the wind defenders say that increased ship strikes and entanglements show that wind is not causing increased death rates when they are actually strong evidence against wind. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
Maine startup turns invasive green crabs into popular restaurant fare
In his days as a York High School marine science teacher, Mike Masi would educate his students about green crabs and other invasive species in the Gulf of Maine. Nowadays, Masi and a former student catch green crabs and sell them as food to high end restaurants and bait to commercial fishermen. Masi, a diver, fisherman and member of the York Shellfish Commission, and Sam Sewall, an eighth-generation lobsterman and Masi’s old student, are the co-founders of York-based Shell + Claw, a business devoted to the study and commercial harvesting of green crabs. The two founded the business in 2020 and have sold green crabs for the last three years, putting in long hours of work to further their knowledge of the crustacean’s impact on local marine life. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:49
Maine: Judge dismisses case against the state challenging lobster boat tracking rules
A federal judge has ruled against a group of five lobstermen that sued the state in attempt to stop electronic boat tracking requirements that went effect almost one year ago. The rules require lobstermen with federal fishing permits to install monitors on their boats that track their location on the water. The fishermen argued that they should not be subject to monitoring at all times. They often use their boats for other purposes beyond commercial lobstering, which Woodcock acknowledged. The boat tracking requirements will stay in place for now. But in his decision, Woodcock said the lobstermen had raised important Fourth Amendment questions and encouraged them to appeal the case. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:21
Lack of fishing prohibitions in ‘grey zone’ could pose risk for right whales, expert says
One marine conservation expert has questions about the efforts on the part of Fisheries and Oceans after North Atlantic right whales were detected in the Bay of Fundy in recent weeks, including in an area where both Canadian and American fishermen catch lobster. In October, Fisheries and Oceans announced several temporary prohibited fishing areas as the whales were detected in multiple fishing spots across the Maritimes, including in the bay. Some fishing prohibitions for parts of the Bay of Fundy started on Oct. 25 and included the fisheries for crab, herring, mackerel, groundfish, hagfish and lobster. The so-called “grey zone” is an area of disputed water near Grand Manan. Both Canada and the United States have claimed sovereignty over the area, so fishers from both countries harvest there. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
Bottom Trawl Survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area Re-Scheduled for January 13, 2025 – March 1, 2025
This notice is to inform you that the bottom trawl survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy (MeRA) Area, previously scheduled to begin on October 15, 2024, has been re-scheduled to take place between January 13, 2025 and March 1, 2025.This is a potential sampling window; the survey will be conducted during 7-10 days within this timeframe. The exact dates will be weather dependent. Operations will be conducted during daylight hours. The F/V Northern Lights (55’ trawler) will transit from Portland to the sampling area. The crew will conduct approximately 37 tows over 7-10 days of sampling. Tows will be 20 minutes and conducted at a speed of 2.5 knots. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:12
Trump has vowed to kill US offshore wind projects. Will he succeed?
Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. “I believe this is a tipping point for the offshore wind industry in America,” said Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast NJ, one of the most vocal groups opposing offshore wind on the East Coast. “They have been given a glidepath by Democrat-run administrations at the federal and state level for many years. For this industry, (Tuesday’s) results will bring headwinds far greater than they have faced previously.” Commercial fishermen in Maine said they hope the Trump administration will undo policies designed to help build and approve offshore wind projects, saying regulators attempted to “future-proof” the industry against political change. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, called on Trump to reverse a commitment to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:37
2024-2025 Scallop Season – Online Materials are Available
The DMR Advisory Council has reviewed and approved the proposed rulemaking for Chapter 11 Scallops, setting the 2024-2025 season. This notice is to inform harvesters that scallop season materials are now available on the DMR website under “Information for the 2024-2025 Scallop Season” and to also provide a summary of changes for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. As a reminder for all zones, scallop harvest begins 1/2 hour before sunrise. Scallop fishery requires electronic reporting of day trips, submitted weekly by Sunday 11:59 p.m. information, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:33
Career Lobsterman/ Korean War Vet Carroll W. Lunt Sr. of Bass Harbor, Maine has passed away
Carroll W. Lunt Sr., 90, died Nov. 2, 2024, at his daughter’s home surrounded by his family. He was born Nov. 20, 1933, in Frenchboro, the son of Wallace and Lenora (Higgins) Lunt. Carroll was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in the Korean War. He spent his career as a lobsterman. He captained his own boats “The Carroll Jr.” and “The Miss Robin” and truly enjoyed his time on the sea. He loved going to camp at Branch Pond with his grandchildren and family. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a past member of the Southwest Harbor/Tremont Masonic Lodge No. 77 A.F. & A.M. and the Anah Shrine. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:40
New Marine Patrol Vessel to be Stationed in Jonesport
The Maine Marine Patrol has added a new patrol vessel to its fleet. The P/V Sentinel II, a 42-foot Calvin Beal designed hull, was launched recently in South Bristol and will be stationed in Jonesport. The vessel’s hull and top were provided by SW Boatworks in Lamoine, the engine was provided by Billings Diesel and Marine in Stonington, and the vessel was built and finished by Farrin’s Boat Shop in Walpole. This is the second 42-foot Calvin Beal vessel Marine Patrol has been able to build in recent years; both vessels replaced existing patrol boats. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
Maine lobstermen worried about cuts to how much herring they can catch for bait
Fishermen in Maine say they’re dealing with a new setback: a nearly 90 percent cut in how much herring they can bring in to bait lobster. Congressman Jared Golden says he’s opposed to the limit, which would reduce the herring catch by 89 percent over three years. “What was troubling with this decision is there was no impact study done to us as fishermen, just an environmental study that was based on essentially one year of a proper study, to have implications to destroy an entire economic sector of Maine,” fisherman Ryan Raber said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:19
Four offshore wind-power sites in Gulf of Maine auctioned for $22M
Two energy companies have won leases for 327,096 acres of federal waters off Maine and Massachusetts and hope to install floating wind-power turbines there. On Tuesday, four of eight available lease areas were sold to provisional winners in an auction by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The sales resulted in winning bids of over $21.9 million. The leases include commitments to workforce training and building a domestic supply chain, which would include an offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, according to a separate news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
Fishermen Fight Bureaucrats to Defend Their Way of Life
Fishermen are going to court in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday to protect their businesses and communities from an unconstitutional regulatory commission that is a menace to our iconic industry. Overregulation has taken the joy out of fishing, and the prosperity too. That inevitably follows when powerful bureaucrats aren’t accountable to anyone, as is the case with the unconstitutional regional management councils that set policy for our fisheries. America’s fishing fleet is steadily retracting. Fishing is a generational trade passed within families. Many fishermen I know are vectoring their sons and daughters away from the family business. There are many reasons for that, but overregulation is one of them. By Jerry Leeman. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
2024 Maine Scallop License Lottery Winners Announced
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has announced the latest winners of the state’s scallop license lotteries. Each winner is responsible for applying for a license within 30 days of notification. The new licenses are the result of a limited entry system established by the legislature and implemented through regulation in June 2018 that allows someone who did not hold a scallop license in the previous year to be eligible for one. This year there were 74 entries for dive licenses and 1,095 entries for drag licenses. With $35 of each lottery entry fee deposited into DMR’s Scallop Research Fund, a total of $40,915 was raised to support scallop research and management. The winners include the following. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:24
It’s Time to Abandon UMaine’s Offshore Wind Scheme in Favor of Cheaper Alternatives
The federal government this week blocked a proposal that would have allowed the Mills Administration and labor unions to bulldoze Sears Island into an industrial wind power port. Although this hard-fought victory is good news for fishermen, ratepayers, taxpayers, and the environment, it’s only temporary. The Mills Administration has given no indication that it will stop its relentless pursuit of expensive and unworkable offshore wind schemes. Depending on how Election Day turns out, the Legislature could be back at the drawing board devising other ways to enrich the wind turbine industry and destroy pristine ocean environments. So it’s worth remembering how we got here, and how Maine’s institutions and media became witting and unwitting pawns in an expensive game of crony capitalism. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:35
Groundfish: Council Signs off on Amendment 25; Prepares for December Final Action on Framework 69 Under Cod Phase 1
The New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) when it met September 24-26, 2024 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Council is now focused on Framework Adjustment 69 to the FMP. The framework is being developed to establish measures for the 2025 groundfish fishing year and, for certain stocks, 2026 and 2027 as well. The Council is scheduled to take final action on the framework at its December 3-5, 2024 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. The 2025 groundfish fishing year begins on May 1. Charts, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
Feds deny Maine’s request for $456M to help build offshore wind port
The federal government turned down Maine’s request for a $456 million grant that would cover most of the cost of building an offshore wind port on Sears Island, officials confirmed Tuesday. The Maine Department of Transportation had applied in May for $456 million from a competitive federal fund focused on multimodal transportation. Following protests from environmentalists, tribes and Republicans, the state picked Sears Island over nearby Mack Point earlier this year for the staging area of the offshore wind port and said the project will cost $760 million. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:05
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Loyd Alan “Lanny” Reposa has passed away in Maine
Loyd Alan “Lanny” Reposa, 75, passed away on October 6th, 2024 peacefully at his farm in Maine joining his heavenly family. Born in Wakefield, RI, he was the son of the late Arthur Reposa and Claire Binns, stepson of the late Ruth A Reposa. He was the loving husband of the late Sally Reposa. Lanny was a lifelong resident of South County and commercial fisherman in Point Judith, RI where he owned and operated several boats of the Point Judith fleet. He also fished in Alaska even getting the chance to pass the Titanic discovery and was one of the first captains to introduce freezer fishing to the industry. He embarked to the Grand Banks for a lot of his fishing, remarkably under some of the most brutal and treacherously dangerous conditions (including hurricane Gloria), Lanny always got his vessel and crew back to a safe port without ever losing a crew member. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
Coast Guard seeks public assistance with hoax caller in Maine
The Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help after receiving suspected search and rescue hoax distress calls over the weekend. Between late Friday morning and early Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard’s Northern New England command center received multiple reports about a boat in distress. Officials believe the calls likely came from somewhere near Mount Desert Island or the nearby islands. In response, the Coast Guard launched several boats and worked with three local agencies to search the area for hours. However, no boats or people in distress were found. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
Retired Commercial Fisherman Reginald Carl Knowles of Winter Harbor, Maine, has passed away
Reginald Carl Knowles entered eternity and found the peace he had longed for on Sept. 28, 2024. His last week was spent surrounded by family and goodbyes after having a stroke. He was born in Machiasport, Maine, as the firstborn son of Carl and Grace Knowles on “6/22/42” — the one thing he always remembered despite the vascular dementia. During his grade school years, Carl Bryant had given Regie a handful of traps that he hauled from a punt. He had been bitten by the lobster fishing bug in those early years! So, after returning from Germany and a short stint driving a truck for McQuinn’s, he set out be a successful lobsterman. He also went scalloping, shrimping and fish dragging, but lobstering was always his passion. It was a trade he took pride in teaching his sons. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:14
‘Maine Labor Climate Council’ Pushing Offshore Wind is Front Group for Dark Money Progressive Activist Org
The Maine Labor Climate Council, a purported coalition of labor unions pushing for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine, is actually a front organization of the Maine People’s Alliance, a progressive activist and lobbying organization, records show. According to a filing with the Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, the nonprofit Maine People’s Alliance has registered to operate under the “assumed” name of the Maine Labor Climate Council. The Maine People’s Alliance network has received millions of dollars in funding from the progressive dark-money network run by the Washington, D.C.-based company Arabella Advisors. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:49
Bottom Trawl Survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area Postponed to Allow for Testing of Survey Method
This notice is to inform you that the bottom trawl survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy (MeRA) Area previously scheduled to begin on October 15, 2024, has been postponed until a date to be determined in early 2025. DMR will use this additional time to continue to test and refine our survey methodology. Between October 15 and November 27, DMR will spend 2-5 days testing the trawl vessel’s gear configuration and performance. This will include a one-day test cruise to the MeRA area and an additional one to four days of test tows as needed to assess and optimize the survey’s gear performance. Any additional testing will occur in federal waters outside of the proposed MeRA sampling area. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:16
Gov. Mills to lead trip to Norway and Denmark to talk offshore wind
Gov. Janet Mills and a group of state officials will travel to Norway and Denmark next week to learn more about offshore wind development in those two countries. During the six-day trip, Mills and her delegation plan to visit floating offshore wind turbines in the North Sea and meet with Norwegian and Danish government officials as well as energy industry representatives. The group plans to speak with Denmark’s top minister for climate initiatives and representatives for the operator of that country’s electricity grid. Mills has said the Gulf of Maine’s abundant wind resources offer a “historic opportunity” to generate more electricity from renewable sources while creating good-paying jobs. But her efforts to jumpstart an offshore wind industry face stiff opposition from some groups, most notably Maine’s powerful lobster industry. Fishermen contend that the floating platforms could bar them from important lobstering grounds. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:26
Video shows inside look at the Portland Fish Exchange, all-display auction for Maine seafood
The Portland Fish Exchange became America’s first all-display fresh seafood auction when it first opened in 1986. The exchange provides multiple services to the Gulf of Maine seafood industry, including live groundfish auctions, product unloading and refrigerated warehousing. Commercial fishing vessels are offloaded in the morning and workers at the exchange separate the catch by species of fish and market grade. Auctions are held every Monday through Thursday, and the products purchased head to restaurants, markets and processing plants within hours of vessel landings. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:42
Maine Unions Lead on the Green Energy Transition
Maine’s fifteen years long OSW policy debates have been hobbled by entrenched opposition from Maine’s lobstermen. It would also be impossible to convince politicians to pass an OSW law that was oblivious to the interests of Maine’s lobstermen. Governor Mills and her team reached out to Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), but they did not break through the impasse. The MLA continues to oppose OSW by arguing about potential impacts “on the marine environment, commercial fishermen and our fishing heritage.” MLA’s opposition has grown stronger in the past few years under the influence of New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), which is orchestrating conservative anti-OSW campaigns across the East Coast. To break this logjam, the MLCC worked with the country’s only lobstering union, Lobster 207. Though a small fraction of Maine lobster fishers are unionized, the lobstering union has a crucial role in advocating for improved working conditions within the lobstering industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
