Tag Archives: Rep. Lydia Blume
Maine Rep Proposes Owner/Operator Requirement for Scallop and Urchin Fishery
Rep. Lydia Blume, D-York, is proposing legislation to require license holders in the scallop and urchin fisheries to own and operate their own vessels. Owner-operator provisions help to increase stewardship in a fishery and help to ensure the fishery’s revenues stay in local communities, she said. “Maine’s lobster fishery has an owner-operator requirement, and this is one of the reasons why it is looked upon as a textbook example of a sustainable fishery,” Blume said. “We should try to replicate what works with lobster in harvesting other species.” Entrance to both the scallop and urchin fisheries is now closed, but there are several factors, like the rebuilding of stocks and increased dockside prices, that are increasing pressure to open them to new license holders. Read the rest here 08:28
Improving the lobster industry – By Rep. Lydia Blume
When people across the world think of Maine, one of the first things that come to mind is lobster. Lobster and its fishery are central to the culture and the psyche of our state – especially our coastal communities. It is one of the major reasons people visit Maine and the lobster industry contributes greatly to our overall economy. Our is special and the envy of the world. Lobstermen developed their own system of conservation measures to ensure the sustainability of the fishery long before the concept was common practice. It is well worth protecting and improving when needed. Why is this fishery so successful? There are three basic reasons. Read the rest here 10:10
