Page 10. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2016 Commercial Fishing News


From the Director - This is the week of Thanksgiving and


D. E. L. A. F  D


we have been very fortunate that we haven’t seen snow yet. Some of the inshore boats are still in the water and bringing their last round of traps in for the winter. The prices have been holding up in a good position. There is talk that the second run of lobsters is yet to come, possibly in December which is why the prices are staying in a good position. This year has been much better than some of the previous years, such as 2008 and 2009. We have all worked very hard as representa- tives of the lobster industry with the dealers,


the Maine Lobster Collaborative and also taking very good care of our product. This all helps to maintain a premium product and hold the prices up to the fi sherman, which is also connected with supply and demand. It is working! With this good news, it has always been


a challenging fall. There has been a territori- al dispute along the line that separates Zone B and Zone C. Zone B goes from Schoodic Point to Newbury Neck. Zone C goes from Newbury Neck to Cape Rosier. The State Marine Patrol offi cials had to resort to off er- ing a $15,000 reward for information that


Maine Lobstermen - Get Ready for Your Future! Maine lobstermen younger than 40


years old are invited to take part in the second Maine Lobster Leadership Institute, off ered by the Maine Lobstermen’s Commu- nity Alliance. The deadline for application is December 15. The Institute, fi rst off ered in 2014,


provides young lobstermen with a hands-on overview of the management, science, and business aspects of lobstering in a globalized economy. The days when a lobsterman need do nothing more than set his trap and haul his lobsters to the wharf are long gone. Today, to be successful in this traditional fi shery a lob- sterman must understand the complexities of regulation, business management, and marketing as well as be a skilled fi sherman. By learning more about the state of lobster- ing today, Institute participants will be ready to take leadership roles in the fi shery of the future.


The Institute begins in January with a


two-day workshop which will focus on the management, science and business aspects of the lobster fi shery. Later in the winter, Institute participants will attend a Joint Committee on Marine Resources session in Augusta, fi sheries presentations at the


Operation Game Thief Off ers $15,000 Reward for Information on Lobster Trap Cutting Incidents


October 31, 2016 - An escalation of trap cutting incidents in recent weeks along the line that separates Maine’s lobster zones B and C has prompted a $15,000 reward from Operation Game Thief for information that will help Marine Patrol in its investigation. “This has been going on since early


summer but in recent weeks we have re- ceived numerous reports of traps being cut along the B/C line, and the possibility of these incidents continuing to escalate has prompted me to approve additional Marine Patrol assets including overtime and vessels to support investigations into these inci- dents,” said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “While these incidents are territorial


disputes among a few harvesters, I will take whatever action is necessary to bring a stop to these violations, including closing the area associated with these incidents,” said Keliher. “I don’t want to take an action that could potentially penalize law abiding harvesters, but I am committed to preventing this from escalating even further.” “This trap war is without a doubt the


most costly loss of gear I have witnessed in my 32 year carreer with the Maine Marine Patrol,” stated Colonel Jon Cornish. “In this instance gear loss is estimated to far exceed $350,000 dollars. Trap molesting is a serious off ence with the potential for multiple year license suspensions. We are working hard to investigate these incidents and are grateful for the support of the Operation Game Thief program.


Maine Fishermen’s Forum in March, meet- ings of the state Lobster Advisory Council, lobster zone councils or the Maine Lobster- men’s Association, and other events, such as the Boston Seafood Show, relevant to the Maine lobster fi shery. The Institute will culminate with an exchange trip to meet with lobstermen on Prince Edward Island in May, with a program wrap-up in June. Participation in the Institute is limited


to 20. Applicants must be able to attend the two-day retreat in late January, the exchange trip to Prince Edward Island in May, and a minimum of one meeting each month in February, March and April. Costs associated with the two-day retreat and the exchange trip to Canada will be covered by the Insti- tute.


Applications must be received by De-


cember 15 for priority consideration. Lob- stermen are also encouraged to nominate candidates from their communities for the program. For additional information or to receive an application, contact Patrice Mc- Carron at the Maine Lobstermen’s Commu- nity Alliance at 967-6221 or email patrice@ mainelobstermen.org or visit www.mlcalli- ance.org.


Lobster Zone B extends from Schood-


ic Point to Newbury Neck while Zone C stretches from Newbury Neck to Cape Ros- ier.


“Maine’s lobster industry has a


long-standing commitment to responsible harvesting practices and the marine resource laws that ensure opportunity for so many in Maine,” said Operation Game Thief Board Chairman Greg Sirpis. “So when the actions of a few threaten the livelihood of those fi shing within the law, the OGT Board of Di- rectors will step up. The Maine OGT Board of Directors hopes this signifi cant reward will prompt someone to come forward with information that will bring these violators to justice.” This investigation is on-going. Anyone


with information is encouraged to call the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800- 253-7887 (1-800-ALERT-US); out of state callers dial 1-207-287-6057. Information can also be provided through the OGT online Tip Reporting Form. Information provided by phone or the Tip Reporting Form can be provided anonymously.


Two Men Charged with Lobster Theft November 1, 2106 – Two men have been charged with theft after a month-long inves- tigation by the Maine Marine Patrol revealed they stole lobsters from two dealers. Troy J. Woodman, 34 of Warren and


Shane Hall, 29 of Portland have both been charged. Woodman was arrested by Marine Patrol Sergeant Robert Beal Monday, Octo- ber 17 and taken to Cumberland County Jail. Hall is currently in Knox County Jail facing a total of six other charges including


will help their investigation. This appears to be one of the worst trap wars in the most recent history of trap molestation. There ap- pears to be as many as 15 fi shermen involved in this trap war. This has resulted in more than $350,000 worth of lobster gear that has either been lost or damaged. I don’t know about you, but it would seem to me that the only ones that would really benefi t from this kind of fi asco, is the trap builders! This is no refl ection on the trap builders, but it just makes no sense for the fi shermen to do such damage to their own livelihood. With all of the conservation measures that have been in practice for generations now, can you imag- ine the amount of lobsters that are trapped on the bottom of this mess? Then the gov- ernment off ers grants for organizations to go out and retrieve the traps. They are then locked up behind fences for the fi shermen to go and see if they can fi nd their gear. Is the government also off ering hardship funds as well? When does this kind “justice” come to an end? With the trap war in mind, it has also resulted in double tagging when you have traps “over the zone line.” Under state rules, we can have 49 percent of our traps outside of our home zone. Now, the Maine Department of Marine Resources wants to extend dou- ble-tagging to all seven of the lobster zones. This will make enforcement easier for the Marine Patrol. They will know if there are too many traps outside of their zone. Right now, the only way to check is to


haul a large amount of gear. With the dou- ble tagging system, they only need to haul a small amount of traps to see if they are in compliance. Mike and I also went to Northeast


Harbor when we received a call from our members there such as Chris Moore. Our di- rector, Terry Savage is also a member of the fi shing community there. There was great


News for the DMR


aggravated assault and kidnapping for al- legedly forcing a woman into his car as she walked home in Rockland in late September. The Marine Patrol investigation re- vealed that the two men stole lobsters from Quahog Lobster in Harpswell. According to Marine Patrol reports, the thefts took place between late-September and mid-October. The thefts were uncovered through


surveillance conducted by Marine Patrol Of- fi cers Rebecca Kavanaugh and Christopher Hilton as well as Sergeant Beal. “We take cases like this very seriously,”


said Marine Patrol Colonel Jon Cornish. “Theft of this magnitude deprives hard working, law abiding Mainers of their live- lihood and undermines our coastal economy. I’m very proud of the Offi cers and Sergeant for their thorough investigation.” Woodman has been charged with one


count of Class C Theft for allegedly stealing lobsters from Quahog Lobster on September 17. Additional theft charges against Wood- man are expected for thefts that occurred at Quahog Lobster on September 24, 25, 27, and October 6, and at Maggie’s Seafood in South Bristol on October 9 and October 16. Hall has been charged with one count of


Class D Theft and one count of Class C theft for allegedly stealing lobsters from Quahog Lobster on September 25 and 27. A total of 19 crates fi lled with lobster


were allegedly stolen by the two over the course of the seven days. The estimated value of the stolen lobster and crates exceeds $9,000. In Maine Class C crimes carry a penalty


of up to 5 years in jail and a fi ne of $5,000 while Class D crimes are punishable by up


to 364 days in jail and a fi ne of $2,000. An investigation into the sale and pur- chase of the stolen lobsters is on-going.


Moratorium on Northern Shrimp Com- mercial Fishing Maintained for 2017 Season


Portsmouth, NH – In response to the de- pleted condition of the northern shrimp re- source, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section ex- tended the moratorium on commercial fi sh- ing for the 2017 fi shing season. The Section also approved a 53 metric ton (mt) research set aside (RSA) to allow for the continued collection of much needed biological data. The 2016 Stock Status Report for Gulf


of Maine (GOM) Northern Shrimp indi- cates abundance and biomass indices for 2012–2016 are the lowest on record of the thirty-three year time series. Recruitment indices for the 2010–2015 year classes are also poor and include the three smallest year classes on record. As a result, the 2012–2016 indices of harvestable biomass are the low- est on record. Current harvestable biomass is almost entirely composed of the 2013 year class.


“By increasing the 2017 RSA, which


is above last year’s 22 mt quota and that recommended by the Technical Committee for 2017 (13.6 mt), the Section sought to strike a balance between providing limited fi shing opportunities to the industry while collecting valuable data to allow for the continued monitoring of the northern shrimp resource,” stated Section Chair Dennis Ab-


Continued on Page 21.


concern about the American Cruise Line coming into Northeast Harbor for the 2017 tourist season. When the Pearl Mist came into the mouth of the harbor in September, it created quite a hardship with the traps along the way. Mike spoke about the experience of


the fi shermen in Belfast and the American Cruise Line ships coming in. He said it took about three years to come to a better understanding with the path they were sup- posed to take and the traps that were lost. He also brought it to their attention about the fi shermen and their families supporting the community year round, not just during the tourist season. We need to support the people that are with us all year. After about two hours of debate, the selectmen voted against allowing the cruise ships in by 5-0. We were also told that more fi shermen are coming to Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor once again. This is a good thing to hear.


We apologize for re-scheduling our last


meeting, but that week was just way too much overload. We are still reeling from the Presid ential election and so glad that all of the negative ads are over! Seemed like it was breeding wide spread anger and negativity. So with that said, the decision has been made by the country and we can do the best that we can to all “get along.” Our next scheduled meeting is set for at Jasper’s Restau-


Thursday, December 1st


rant, 6:00 p.m. with guests: Leta Leighton of Leighton and Longin CPA’s and Brian Flewelling of Key Bank, both of Brewer. Their subject is the Capital Construction Fund Program. If you are interested in their topic, feel free to come along….All are welcome! We hope that everyone had a safe and


profi table season. Have a Happy Thanks- giving! Sheila


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