April 2015 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 11. Commercial Fishing News D.E.L.A. From the Director


From the Director – What do you think? When will the last patch of snow be gone in our Great State of Maine? Here we are on March 23, and this morning the temperature was 2 degrees! We know that spring must be on the way because we received the Hamilton Marine fl yer today with the Open House specials in it. That is always a way to get some incentive to start thinking about getting our boats ready. Way to go Hamilton Marine! We have the 40th


Annual Maine


Fishermen’s Forum behind us now. I must say that it was a very good turn out. The traffi c for the show was very busy, seeing old and new friends and family. This is always a highlight of the show for all of us. I’d like to Thank Mike D., Hilton and


Ethan Turner and Randy Nichols for their help manning the D.E.L.A. booth. We also had help and support from our directors at our meeting that we held on Saturday morning in the Monhegan Room. Thank you to the Chipman Family and Nick Lemieux for your helpful suggestions for planning for the upcoming season. Bob Fortin was very helpful with helping D.E.L.A. and Maine Camp Outfi tters set up our booths. We have a log book saved out for you, Bob! We are very proud to announce that the Board voted to establish Junior Board members. This is one way for the student lobsterman to come along with their family and become involved with the industry as they learn. The best way to learn is to become involved with stewardship and participation. We feel very positive about this new traditional endeavor.


D.E.L.A. also wants to encourage more contributions to the Scholarship Fund through contact with the mail, web site, and any suggestions that you may have for fund raising. At this present time, we are proud to be able to award the fi rst two scholarships to Louisa Beal, daughter of Glenn and Diane Beal of Beals and Andrew Turner, son of Hilton and Rhonda Turner of Stonington. They were both awarded a scholarship of $1,000 each. D.E.L.A. would like to extend


a special “Thank You” to each and every one of you that contributed toward this scholarship fund. It couldn’t be possible without your help! Now, if we can continue to raise even more funds, we will be able to award more scholarships at graduation time. If you have further questions about the scholarships, feel free to contact me at any time: dassatt711@yahoo.com.


D.E.L.A. also hosted some very valuable seminars at the Forum. Jon Johansen moderated Old Tyme photos from the Penobscot Marine Museum. The information inspired a lot of audience participation with popular response to do more next year. We also hosted an insurance seminar that involved all three insurance companies that are represented at the Forum. These companies were International Special Risks with J.P. Williamson moderating, Ocean Marine Insurance Agency with Kris Boehmer and Smithwick & Mariners Insurance Agency with Scott Smithwick. These gentlemen gave some very good information that all of us should know if you are operating a commercial vessel. The third seminar that D.E.L.A. hosted was moderated by Jim Manning with NOAA of Woods Hole, MA. This was standing room only with information on the E-Molt and Drifter Program that Jim has been working on for a few years now. Jim gave updates on the progress of the program with very good results. We have been notifi ed of a new program that has been announced by Dana Morse of Maine Sea Grant. This program is Free to Commercial Fishermen to Become a Marine Safety Insructor. June 1 – 6, 2015 at the Newcastle Fire Department, 86 River Road, Newcastle, ME 04553. It is conducted by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association. The contact person is Jeff Pearson of Sitka, AK, 907-747- 3287 or e-mail: jeff@amsea.org. if you are interested. We also have more information about this program. We have the proposed whale regulations as follows: NMFS proposes to amend the


regulations implementing the Atlantic Whale Take Reduction Plan. This action proposes to change the minimum number of traps per trawl to allow fi shing with a single trap in certain Massachusetts and Rhode Island state waters; and proposes to modigy the requirement to use one endline on trawls within certain areas in Massachusetts state waters. NMFS also proposes a ¼ mile buffer in waters surrounding certain islands in Maine to allow fi shing with a single trap. In addition, NMFS proposes additional gear marking requirements for those waters allowing single traps as well as two new high use areas for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) – Jordan Basin and Jeffreys Ledge. The comment period will close April 20th


. You may submit


electronic comments by going to: www. regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA- NMFS-2015-0127. This information was provided by Kate Swails – NOAA Federal<kate.swails @noaa.gov> The Legislature has begun with the lobster bills that were heard on Wednesday, March 18th


. Mike and I attended with


speaking to the best of our ability and taking down the information for our membership. They were as posted on our website, downeastlobstermen.org: L.D. 490 An Act to Extend the Legal Hours for Harvesting Lobsters; L.D. 491 An Act to Lower from 70 to 65 the Age at Which a Person May Obtain a Lobster and Crab Fishing License for a Reduced Fee; L.D. 492 An Act to Expand Eligibility for Lobster and Crab Fishing Licenses for Veterans and L.D. 563 An Act Regarding the Purchase of Trap Tags in the Lobster Fishery. With Representative Kumeiga’s recommendation, L.D. 563 will go to the Commissioner for industry meetings for further discussion as well as any others that need more consideration from the industry. This is where your voice does make a difference. We will keep you posted on the future schedule.


D.E.L.A. welcomes new member – Jenny Bichrest and Purse Line Bait of Sebasco Estates! Welcome Jenny and Crew! Our next D.E.L.A. meeting is scheduled at Jasper’s Restaurant


for Thursday, May 14th


in Ellsworth at 6:00 p.m. All are welcome. See you around, Sheila


JOHANSON BOATWORKS Full Service Yacht Yard


Rockland, Maine • 207-596-7060 info@jboatworks.com • jboatworks.com


Saving the Gill-Netter PHYLLIS A. 2014 LOBSTER BOAT RACE CD


Over 800 photographs from all 2014 lobster boat races. $12.50, which includes postage.


To order: Maine Coastal News, P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME, 04496 or call (207) 223-8846 and charge to your credit card.


The Phyllis A. Marine Association - A non-profi t organization dedicated to the preservation of the former gill-netter PHYLLIS A., built at Kennebunkport in 1925, and worked by the Arnold family out of Gloucester for 75 years. To help call (978) 391-3901 or visit their website: www.phyllis-a.org. All donations are tex deductible.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31