Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS November 2014 MAINE DMR NEWS Continued from Page 13. DAILY LIMIT:
Zone 1 & 2 will have a 15 gallon daily limit; Zone 3 will have a 10 gallon daily limit. TARGETED CLOSURES: A number of closures will be imple- mented based on either depletion or the presence of spat producing scallops in East- ern Casco Bay, Damariscotta River, Ocean Point (East Boothbay), Muscle Ridge (open only two days/week) and Lower Muscle Ridge as well as mooring fi elds that will be closed to dragging in Blue Hill Harbor, Western Blue Hill Bay, Bartlett’s Harbor, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Somes Sound Harbor. A correction was made to the proposed rule to clarify that access in the Muscle Ridge Area be Mondays and Tuesdays for draggers and Wednesdays and Thursdays for divers. TRIGGER MECHANISM:
The trigger mechanism will be extend- ed to the entire state scallop fi shery whereby if DMR receives information indicating that a likelihood of 30-40% of the harvestable biomass has been removed, the Commis- sioner will close harvesting for the remain- der of the season through emergency action. While the DMR sought a reduction from last year in the upcoming season’s length, it moved forward with a rulemaking proposal that maintains last season’s Zone 1 & 2 70-day season and Zone 3 50-day season at the request of the Scallop Advisory Coun- cil and industry. However, this decision runs counter to the advice of DMR’s science staff. So the department anticipates having to cut days from the season with area closures enacted through emergency rulemaking as department surveys detect depletion of the
resource beyond what can be regenerated in a season. A round of outreach meetings will be hosted by DMR staff prior to the season start to provide charts and calendars, to review the Zone 2 rotational management plan and to answer any questions that industry has for the upcoming scallop season. Information detailing relevant management measures will be posted to the DMR website in the coming weeks and custom charts will be provided upon request.
New Start Date for Royal River Dredging Project
The following notice has been sent di-
rectly to lobster management zones F and G to inform them of the revised US Army Corps of Engineers’ Royal River dredging haul route due to a last minute modifi cation to the route.
DMR has sent this notifi cation out as a
courtesy to the Army Corps given the short notice and change to the haul route. THE NEW START DATE FOR THE PROJECT IS MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014.
As previously announced, the dredged sediments will be placed at the Portland Disposal Site located approximately 15 Nautical Miles from the mouth of the Royal River.
The revised haul route map is posted
on the Army Corps website: As previously announced, all fi shing gear must be removed from 200 feet either side of the specifi ed haul route centerline to avoid damage to or loss of fi shing gear due to dredged material disposal operations. Individuals seeking additional infor- mation regarding this project or having inquiries regarding the loss of fi shing gear
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suspected to be the result of dredged ma- terial disposal should contact Mr. Michael Walsh, the Corps Project Manager, at (978) 318-8586. For other questions, please con- tact your local Marine Patrol Offi cer or the Boothbay Harbor Division Offi ce at (207) 633-9595.
Please feel free to share this information with any and all individuals who might have an interest in the haul route being used by the Corps’ dredging contractor.
DMR Solicitation of Public Comment Regarding Berth Maintenance Dredging Project at Sprague Terminal in Searsport, Maine Project
Pursuant to 38 M.R.S. §480-D, sub-§9, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is required to provide the Maine De- partment of Environmental Protection with an assessment on the impacts on the fi shing industry of a proposed dredging operation. Sprague Operating Resources LLC of Portsmouth, New Hampshire has submitted a Natural Resource Protection Act (NRPA) permit application to dredge primarily silt, sand and gravel material from the berthing area at the Sprague Marine Terminal liquid and bulk docks in Searsport. The dredged material (13,100 yds.) would be disposed of onshore for benefi cial fi ll use on the Sprague property. This project does not include the dredging of the navigation channel proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers. As allowed under this section, the De- partment of Marine Resources (DMR) has determined not to hold a public meeting on this proposal. This was determined due to the minimal amount of dredged material, the immediate upland disposal of dredge spoils, and no anticipated impact to fi shing in the area. Additionally, the DMR has requested the use of an environmental bucket dredge in order to minimize re-suspension of dredged material for this operation. In lieu of a public hearing, DMR will accept verbal and written comments. The deadline for comments to DMR is November 14, 2014. If fi ve or more persons request a public meeting within 30 days of this notice, DMR will hold such a hearing as per 38 M.R.S. §480-D, sub-§9. Please send comments to: Denis Nault, Department of Marine Resources, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333; tel.: (207) 422-2092;
denis-marc.nault@maine. gov. To send a written request for a public hearing, contact Kevin Rousseau, Depart-
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Theodore Gray to Pay $50,000 Fine, Spend Two Days in Jail for Lobster Crimes Theodore Gray, a 34-year-old lobster- man from Orland, will spend 2 days in Han- cock County Jail and pay a $50,000 fi ne after pleading guilty on October 17 in Ellsworth District Court to possession of undersized and V-notched lobsters and with molesting lobster equipment.
Department of Marine Resources Com- missioner Patrick Keliher also suspended Gray’s license for three years, beginning June 23 of this year.
“This was one of the most extreme cases involving violation of our state’s marine resources laws anyone in the department or the Marine Patrol can remember,” said Commissioner Keliher. “Not only is he now facing major fi nes and jail time, through his actions he has lost the privilege of earning a living harvesting Maine lobsters for three years. This case sends a strong message that the state of Maine will use all the tools at its disposal to fi nd and remove law breakers from the water and to support the work of law abiding fi shermen who work to sustain our vital marine resources.” The charges stemmed from an investi- gation conducted in May by the Maine Ma- rine Patrol and the Maine Warden Service in which Gray was charged not only with pos- session of 123 v-notched lobsters and 269 lobsters smaller than the legal minimum of 3 8/32 inches in length, but with possession of 20 traps belonging to another fi sherman. “I’m tremendously proud of the collab- orative work of the Marine Patrol and the Warden Service in this case,” said Marine Patrol Major Jon Cornish. “These were serious violations of our laws and this case represents a major success in the efforts of our two bureaus to protect Maine’s natural resources and the people who rely on them.” Maine law requires that lobsters har- vested that measure less than 3 8/32 inches be released immediately.
Maine law also requires that harvesters who catch female lobsters with eggs use a v-notch tool or a sharp knife to remove a quarter-inch-deep portion from the fl ipper immediately to the right of the center one. The practice of notching a known “breeder” extends the lobster’s protection beyond the hatching of its eggs.
Maine Marine Patrol Offi cers Owen Reed and Rustin Ames, working with the assistance of Game Warden Brian Tripp, conducted the investigation that led to the Gray’s arrest.
While molesting lobster gear is a civil violation, the other two violations are both Class D crimes.
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