Tag Archives: maine
NTSB: Hydraulic Leak Caused Loss of Fishing Vessel Off Maine
The fire that destroyed the fishing vessel F/V Three Girls off the coast of Maine in 2024 was likely caused by a spray of hydraulic oil, according to an investigation by the NTSB. The crew all abandoned ship and survived, in no small part because of timely and creative action by the vessel’s master. On August 11, the F/V Three Girls was under way in the Gulf of Maine on a routine trip and had five crewmembers and a fishery observer aboard. At about 2050 hours, the crew was hauling in nets and running all hydraulic systems at full power when the captain smelled something burning. He checked the engine room and encountered thick smoke – so thick that he could not clearly see where the fire was coming from. He determined that the blaze was too serious to fight, and he ordered the crew to prepare to abandon ship. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:27
Stricter lobster fishing rules scrapped after complaints from fishermen about harm to industry
Fishing industry regulators have decided to scrap stricter new lobster fishing standards off New England in the wake of months of protest from lobster fishermen that the rules were unnecessary and would bankrupt harvesters. The regulators were planning to institute new rules this summer that increased the minimum legal harvest size for lobsters in some of the most important fishing grounds in the world. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council, which manages the fishery, said the changes were important to preserve the future of a lobster population that has shown recent signs of decline. Many commercial fishermen adamantly opposed the changes, which would have required them to throw back previously market-ready lobsters. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:39
Judge allows Maine lobstermen’s lawsuit over ‘red listing’ to advance
After almost two years in limbo, a defamation lawsuit Maine lobstering groups filed against a California aquarium can move forward, a federal judge ruled Friday. The Maine Lobsterman’s Association, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and three lobster businesses sued the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation in 2023 after the organization’s Seafood Watch program put lobster on a “red list” of seafood consumers should avoid. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation argued that it has a right to make its rating based on Maine’s free speech laws. But U.S. District Judge John Woodcock disagreed. Maine lobstermen have said that the red listing not only is false but also has caused significant economic harm to them and the Maine lobster brand. Companies like Whole Foods, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron subsequently pulled Gulf of Maine lobster from their menus, in line with Seafood Watch’s allegations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:42
Maine and NH lobstermen celebrate reversal of lobster catch size limits
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have walked back new regulations that New Hampshire and Maine lobstermen said would have dire economic consequences to their industry. The commission voted Tuesday to repeal key elements of a proposed increase to minimum allowable catch sizes for Gulf of Maine lobster. The announcement comes after officials in Maine and New Hampshire, which together account for most of U.S. lobster landings, announced they would not cooperate with the proposal. “New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) thanks the commission for heeding the voice of lobstermen,” said NEFSA COO and fourth-generation lobsterman Dustin Delano. “Raising catch sizes at this time would bankrupt many lobstermen and surrender the U.S. market to foreign competitors. NEFSA is grateful that the commission has chosen to support our historic trade, which contributes billions to New England’s economy and shapes the character of the region.” links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:11
Medical Examiner Confirms Identity of Recovered Body
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified the body recovered Sunday from the sunken fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact as Chester Barrett of South Addison. Chester’s body was recovered after a search that began Saturday, January 18th when he and his son Aaron were reported missing. The two had been transiting from Edmunds to South Addison on board the Sudden Impact when it sank in 160 feet of water about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Moose River in eastern Washington County. Maine Marine Patrol will continue periodic patrols in the area with the goal of locating Aaron, who was not found on board or near the sunken vessel. “We share our condolences with the family and friends of Chester and Aaron during this difficult time,” said Marine Patrol Captain Colin MacDonald. 10:17
Volunteers recover body from missing Maine fishing boat ‘Sudden Impact’
The Department of Marine Resources says that divers found a body inside the cabin of the fishing boat “Sudden Impact,” which has been missing, along with its two passengers, for weeks. Two fishermen from South Addison, Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, reportedly sank in the Sudden Impact on January 18th as the two traveled from Edmunds to South Addison. The volunteer divers came from all over to aid the search, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Among them are Chris Ogden, Richard Simon, Bob Foster, Mark Bowers, and Harold Moyers, with surface support from Eric Simon. more, <<CLICK TO READ<< 07:06
Body Recovered from Fishing Vessel Sudden Impact.
On Sunday February 2, 2025, at approximately 7:00 a.m. a team of highly-skilled volunteer divers located and recovered a body from inside the cabin of the fishing vessel Sudden Impact. The recovered body has been transported to the medical examiner’s office for formal identification. The Maine Marine Patrol along with local fishermen and the Maine State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Dive Team have been working to recover the body since it was first located on January 23rd inside the vessel. The F/V Sudden Impact, with Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, fishermen from South Addison, sank Saturday January 18th when the two were transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. “Throughout this difficult process, the Barrett family has led the mission to recover Chester and Aaron, supported by numerous local fishermen,” said Marine Patrol Captain Colin MacDonald. “The volunteer dive team showed exceptional skill in difficult conditions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:28
Maine: Local fishermen praise bill limiting offshore wind
From Brooksville to Blue Hill to Stonington, local fishermen are applauding Congressman Jared Golden’s co-sponsorship of a bill prohibiting commercial offshore wind energy development over nearly 14,000 square miles in the Gulf of Maine. The Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025 would protect Lobster Management Area 1, the nearshore fishing waters stretching from the Canadian border to the north shore of Cape Cod, from wind development. “I support that all the way,” said Marsden Brewer, who has fished out of Stonington his entire life. Brewer, who has fished commercially for lobster, shrimp, ground fish and sea urchins, currently scallops and, with his son, Bob, runs a local aquaculture scallop farm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Researchers to monitor socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery
A University of Maine-led research team has developed new indicators to measure the socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery. The study aims to deepen understanding of the industry’s challenges and guide future policies supporting the fishery and the communities it sustains. Maine’s lobster fishery, supporting thousands of jobs, is closely monitored and managed through biological surveys and industry reports. However, these statistics don’t capture the full impact of supply disruptions, market shifts and geopolitical tensions on the industry and its communities. With commercial lobster landings dropping 27 percent between 2016 and 2022, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association began exploring new ways to measure the fishery’s socioeconomic resilience, helping leaders better respond to the industry’s challenges. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:53
Maine’s offshore wind ambitions: Big ideas tempered by setbacks and competition
The planned launch later this year of a second-generation floating wind turbine platform off the Maine coast will mark the latest step in the state’s winding path to developing an offshore wind energy industry. Maine’s formal interest in developing ocean wind energy dates back to 2008, when former Gov. John Baldacci created an Ocean Energy Task Force to devise a strategy. The work began in the midst of a deep recession marked by soaring petroleum prices, in a state with the greatest dependence on heating oil. Baldacci and other advocates saw ocean energy as a tool to free Maine from its imported petroleum addiction. Underscoring the potential, U.S. Sen. and former Maine Gov. Angus King called the Gulf of Maine “the Saudi Arabia of Wind.” Two years later, the Legislature unanimously passed the Ocean Energy Act, which among other things set a target of developing 5,000 megawatt of offshore wind capacity by 2030. Today, it seems that no generation will be in place by that date. But the outlook was brighter 15 years ago. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:44
Divers searched for missing Maine fishermen on Saturday
The family of two fishermen who went missing off the coast of Downeast Maine a week ago is hoping divers will recover the bodies of Chester Barrett and his son, Aaron Barrett, Saturday. On Wednesday night, officials located the Barretts’ fishing vessel, “Sudden Impact,” submerged in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove, between Cutler and Lubec. Commercial divers, Maine Marine Patrol officers, and volunteer fishermen were in the area Saturday afternoon to assist in the recovery efforts, according to the family. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
Lobsterman/Army Veteran Emerson Fobes Spurling Jr., known to all as “Tucker,” of Southwest Harbor has passed away
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Emerson Fobes Spurling Jr., known to all as “Tucker,” on January 20, 2025, at the age of 89. Born on December 7, 1935, in Ellsworth, Maine, Tucker spent much of his life on the coast of Maine, first in Manset and later in Windham. He was a hardworking man with a big heart, a quick wit, and a generosity that made everyone who met him feel like family. After his military service, Tucker returned home to Mount Desert Island, the island he loved so much. He continued to work the waters off of Southwest Harbor for decades on his lobster boats, first the wooden boat he built with the help of his father and Ralph Stanley, the Bette S. Into his seventies he decided a wooden boat was a lot to maintain, instead of retiring he bought his brother’s fiberglass boat. She was a sturdy vessel he proudly renamed after his only granddaughter the Evi Lynn and fished until his retirement at the age of 82. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:15
Dive Team Confirms Identify of Fishing Vessel “Sudden Impact
South Addison – At approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday, the State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Dive Team, assisted by local fishermen, took advantage of “slack water” and utilized a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar and a camera to confirm the identity of the sunken fishing vessel “Sudden Impact.” The vessel is located in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove in eastern Washington County between the towns for Cutler and Lubec in an area of strong tidal current activity. Using the ROV, crews were able to observe what is believed to be the body of an individual on board the vessel. Recovery was not possible as of last night. Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, fishermen from South Addison, have been missing since Saturday evening when the two failed to return as expected after transiting on board the “Sudden Impact” from Edmunds to South Addison. The Maine Marine Patrol will continue to work with family members of the Barretts to determine next steps, including consultation with deep water salvage and recovery experts to determine whether a recovery effort is feasible. Maine Department of Marine Resources. 12:09
David L. Lunt of Frenchboro, Maine, has passed away
David L. Lunt, a lobsterman, entrepreneur, patriarch, optimist, and lover of the open road who emerged from humble beginnings to become an iconic coastal figure and powerful voice for Frenchboro, the remote island fishing village where generations of his family worked the sea, has died. He was 86. David was born on an island mired in post-Depression poverty that lacked basic conveniences such as running water, electric lights, and telephones, but worked steadily to pull the community into the modern era, while also pushing forward-thinking programs to keep it alive. He took a lead role in nearly every island decision for roughly six decades, working by gut instinct in a quiet, confident manner-he never flashed anger or frustration. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:47
Marine Patrol Continues Search Effort for South Addison Commercial Fishermen
The Maine Marine Patrol today will continue its search efforts on shore and on the water between Lubec and South Addison for Chester Barrett and his son Aaron Barrett, commercial fishermen from South Addison. The two men were reported missing Saturday evening by a family member when they failed to return as expected after transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. They were on board Chester’s fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. Marine Patrol began its search Saturday evening and resumed it Sunday, temporarily postponing search efforts both days due to poor visibility. Using sonar, local fishermen were able to locate an object that might be a vessel Sunday in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove at the mouth of the Moose River. Efforts by local fishermen to recover it Sunday were halted by the US Coast Guard due to safety concerns but are planned to resume today. In addition to its search efforts, Marine Patrol will be on-scene during recovery efforts to provide support. link 10:05
Officials suspend search for two fishermen who went missing in Downeast Maine
The U.S. Coast Guard has officially suspended the search for two commercial fishermen who were reported missing after they did not return to port on Saturday night. Chester Barret and his son Aaron Barrett were on board their fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. They planned to travel from Edmunds to South Addition. The 34-foot scallop vessel left Cobscook Bay State Park around 5 a.m. Saturday. After encountering rough conditions, they planned to seek refuge in Cutler but became unreachable, according to authorities. On Sunday night at 6 p.m. the search was called off. The Coast Guard said they searched for more than 42 hours combined and 950 square miles of ocean and coastline with the help of Marine Patrol and other agencies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:10
Multiple agencies are searching for two fishermen who went missing in Northern Maine
Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for two commercial fishermen who were reported missing after they did not return to port. Chester Barret and his son Aaron Barrett were on board their fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. They planned to travel from Edmunds to South Addition. The 34-foot scallop vessel left Cobscook Bay State Park around 5 a.m. EST Saturday. After encountering rough conditions, they planned to seek refuge in Cutler but became unreachable, according to authorities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Marine Patrol Searching for South Addison Fishermen
The Maine Marine Patrol is searching for Chester Barrett and his son Aaron Barrett, commercial fishermen from South Addison, who were reported missing yesterday evening by a family member when they failed to return as expected after transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. The two were on board Chester’s fishing vessel “Sudden Impact.” Marine Patrol launched a search on the water and shoreline between Lubec and South Addison last night at approximately 7 p.m. Marine Patrol was joined in last night’s search by the US Coast Guard and local fishermen. Last night’s search was postponed due to poor visibility but will resume this morning, focusing again on the coastline between Lubec and South Addison. link 09:34
Public Hearings on ASMFC Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4
Hello Northern Shrimp Stakeholders. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved for public comment Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The Draft Amendment considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and implementing management triggers. Management trigger options include biologic and environmental triggers comprised of indicators that would signal improvement in stock conditions and the potential to re-open the fishery. There are three public hearings scheduled for Maine stakeholders. info, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:46
Trump to Rescue Maine’s Lobstermen
The end is coming for overregulation – including fisheries. Good ideas can become excessive, necessitating curtailment, and a restoration of balance. Maine’s lobstermen – pounded by regulations – represent a shocking example of industry overregulation. Trump is about to save them. Even before last week, Maine’s lobstermen were suffering. In my youth, growing up in Maine limits on who, how, and where one lobstered were largely self-set, lobstermen knowing well where they put their traps, respecting others, one trap per line, and no overfishing. The reason for respect among lobstermen, no overfishing, limits what was kept (no breeders, no shorts), how many traps, when seasons started and finished, was self-preservation. Boats were handed from fathers to sons, sometimes daughters, with respect for the sea. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:21 By Robert Charles
NEFSA defeats menace to iconic Maine lobster
Lobstermen in Maine are breathing a sigh of relief after regulators walked back a plan that would have put many fishermen out of business. The state of Maine will not cooperate with a dangerous regulatory proposal to raise minimum allowable catch size for lobster after a spirited hearing on January 9th. The size increase would have deprived lobstermen of their most popular products, further straining their multi-generational businesses and historic communities. “Lobstermen everywhere are relieved that the Maine Department of Resources stepped back from the brink,” said NEFSA COO Dustin Delano, a fourth generation lobsterman. “Raising the minimum catch size would have driven countless lobstermen off the water and opened our market to foreign competitors.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
Maine Reverses Course on Regulation Increasing Minimum Legal Lobster Size
Following a meeting in Augusta this past Thursday where dozens of lobstermen voiced strong opposition to the rule change, Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher issued a statement announcing the decision. “Last night, after hearing loud and clear from Maine lobster industry members that they are unified in their opposition to a proposed rule change that would increase the minimum gauge size starting in July of this year, with approval from Governor Mills I decided to pull the regulation,” Commissioner Keliher wrote. “I called up the governor on the way in. I explained to her what the risks were associated with compliance with the ASMFC,” Keliher said later during the meeting. “She agreed with me that we should withdraw the rule.” Short clip, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:44
Lobstermen relieved after officials scrap proposed change to harvest
Maine lobstermen are breathing a sigh of relief after a contentious proposal to increase the minimum lobster size was withdrawn Thursday night in Augusta. The decision came after a heated public meeting hosted by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, during which lobstermen voiced concerns about the rule’s potential impact on their livelihoods. Some lobstermen argued change from the current minimum size of 3.25 inches would reduce their catch by 20 percent, targeting the smaller lobsters that are the most marketable and crucial to their business. Lobstermen also argued that increasing the minimum size wouldn’t conserve the lobster population. Many stated that lobsters thrown back into the ocean would likely fall prey to other predators rather than grow to legal size. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45
Fishermen victory in NEFSA v Raimondo case
A federal court gave hardworking fishermen a partial victory against rogue bureaucrats last week, declaring that a key regulatory body is unconstitutional in critical respects. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine ruled that the New England Fishery Management Council violates the Constitution because its unelected, unaccountable members can override elected officials – even the President – when crafting regulatory plans. However, the court then “severed” the override power, protecting the council and its suffocating regulations. “NEFSA is pleased that the court agreed there are constitutional problems with the council,” said NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman. “But this is only a partial victory. The court rewrote the statute to salvage the regulations that are driving fishermen off the water and decimating our coastal communities. NEFSA is carefully considering an appeal.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:20
Lobster 207 settles long-standing lawsuit against former CEO for $5 million
Lobster 207 will receive a $5 million settlement against its former CEO Warren Pettegrow, his parents Anthony and Josette Pettegrow, and co-defendants accused in a long-running legal saga of overcharging the lobster wholesaler for lobsters and pocketing the difference. The settlement ends what has been a long back-and-forth in court that generated hundreds of legal documents. “We are pretty relieved to move this forward,” Lobster 207 President Michael Yohe said at a Jan. 7 press conference. “It’s just a new start for us.” The parties reached the settlement on Jan. 3, just three days before jury selection was scheduled in U.S. District Court in Bangor. Photos, more>>CLICK TO READ<< 11:40
Maine Lobstering Union’s Lobster 207 Receives in Excess of $5 Million Settlement in Giant Step Forward for Maine’s Lobstering Communities — Lobster 207, a co-op formed by the Maine Lobstering Union, is pleased to announce that it has emerged with a more than a $5 million settlement in its favor after five years of litigation against a former CEO, Warren Pettegrow, his parents, their companies and another alleged co-conspirator. -more,>>CLICK TO READ<<
UPDATE: Bottom Trawl Survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area Re-Scheduled to Begin the Week of January 27, 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 January 13, 2025, is now tentatively scheduled to begin the week of January 27, 2025 and run through March 1, 2025. This remains a tentative timeframe – survey schedules will be posted here on DMR’s website as they are available. The survey will be conducted during seven days within this timeframe. The exact dates will be weather dependent. Operations will be conducted during daylight hours. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:28
From boat sizes to waitlists, what lobster industry changes say about where fishery is headed
Wait times for a lobster fishing license, especially for those not born into a family of fishermen, used to exceed a decade in some parts of Maine, but the queues are getting shorter as fewer young people enter the fishery. Lobster boat captains often struggle to find enough sternmen to help and used lobster boats are taking longer to sell than they used to. The threat of climate change and more restrictive right whale protections, as well as several years of more modest landing totals, have some in the lobster industry second-guessing their future in the business, yielding subtle, but real, changes in the makeup of the fishery. In conversations with fishermen, a sense of uncertainty permeates. “It’s such an unstable way of life and it’s not getting any better,” said Nick Perreault, a fifth generation fisherman who captains a lobster boat out of Jonesport. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:25
Retired Commercial Fisherman/Navy Veteran Marshall Alexander of Biddeford, Maine, has passed away
Marshall Alexander, 78, of Biddeford, died peacefully on December 22, 2024 at Gosnell Hospice in Scarborough, Maine after a 3 ½ year battle with dementia and aphasia. Born to Bernice Brackett and Walter Alexander, he grew up on Old Pool Road with his sister, Donna. The sea was his first love. He started what would become his lifelong career of commercial fishing at the age of 14 with a skiff, a pair of oars and a work ethic surpassed by none. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he returned to the sea, first lobstering then ultimately dragging aboard the F/V De-Dee-Mae II, his fifth and last boat, a 54-foot stern trawler. Marshall was a fierce advocate for the commercial fishing industry serving on numerous committees and councils. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
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
ASMFC Public Hearings on Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4
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