Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS February 2017


Commercial Fishing News The 2017 Atlantic smooth dogfi sh quo-


ta is 1,802 metric tons (3,971,587 pounds), representing an increase in quota from the previous year. In 2016, a quarter of the At- lantic smooth dogfi sh quota was harvested. Given Atlantic smooth dogfi sh is not over- fi shed and overfi shing is not occurring, up to 50% of the base quota can be carrier over to the following year if there is an underhar- vest. NOAA Fisheries rolled over 50% of the 2016 base quota to the 2017 quota. As stated in Addendum II to the Inter-


state Coastal Sharks FMP, the coastwide At- lantic smooth dogfi sh quota will be allocated into state shares. For more information, please con-


tact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


New Marine Patrol Offi cer to Join Stonington Patrol


Having recently graduated from the


Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program, Daniel Vogel of Piseco, New York, is the newest member of the Maine Marine Patrol. After an additional 45-day Marine Patrol fi eld training program, Offi cer Vogel will be serving in the busy Stonington patrol. Pic- tured with Offi cer Vogel (center) are Maine Department of Marine Resources Com- missioner Patrick Keliher (left) and Maine Marine Patrol Colonel Jonathan Cornish (right) after recent swearing in ceremonies.


Maine Scallop Season Update - December 29, 2016 December 29, 2016 - Four weeks into the Maine Scallop Season and things continue to look good for harvesters. The rotational


M C F N


closures implemented in Zone 2 last year are now bearing fruit and the same is true for targeted closures in Zone 1. Zone 3 fi sh- ermen continue to catch their daily limit in a couple of hours and are dealing with less competition as the fi shing remains strong to the west. An emergency regulation will be eff ective on Sunday, January 1, that will implement targeted closures where the fi shery has reached harvest targets, which are between 30% and 40% of the harvestable biomass. The DMR uses emergency rulemaking in combination with in season monitoring eff orts to ensure that the resource continues to rebuild by managing adaptively during the season and ensuring that areas are not overfi shed. NOTE: The size of scallops is often desig- nated by the letter U, which stands for “un- der” followed by a number. For example, in the case of a U/10 scallop, it takes fewer than (under) 10 of them to make up a pound. The smaller the number, the bigger the scallop. U/10s are prized because of their size. Here are the highlights of the season to-date: Zone 1 – Maine/NH Border to Penobscot Bay


Much of the activity has been con-


centrated in Portland Harbor, which was closed last year to protect sublegal scallops, allowing them to recruit up to the fi shery this season. Fishing has also been targeting the Mussel Ridge area further east. Surveys conducted by the DMR on December 2 and 22, 2016 determined that Portland Harbor has reached it catch target, while the Hussey Sound/Chandler Cove area contains high concentrations of sublegal scallops, which require protection. Targeted closures in both of these areas will be implemented on Jan-


uary 1, 2016, however, the Hussey Sound/ Chandler Bay area will remain open to hand harvest by scuba divers, who have negligible impact on sublegal scallops.


Zone 2 – Penobscot Bay to Lubec-Cam- pobello Island Bridge


Harvesters have been fi shing the Lower


Blue Hill and Jonesport areas and have re- ported regularly landing U-10s. In-season monitoring eff orts have determined that the Narraguagus/Pigeon Hill Bay Rotational Area and the Chandler Bay area have both met harvest targets, so targeted closures for both these areas will be implemented January 1, 2016. However, fi shermen have already moved out of these areas and contin- ue to report good catches elsewhere in Zone 2.


Zone 3 – Maine Territorial Coastal


Waters North and East of Lubec-Cam- pobello Island Bridge


A few boats have begun to move into


Zone 3 from off -shore areas as weather has deteriorated, however, harvesters continue to report strong catches, landing their limit of scallops in a few hours with a large pro- portion of them being reported as U10s.


2017 Maine Northern Shrimp Cooperative Winter Sampling Program Participants Announced Maine participants in the cooperative


winter sampling program for Northern Shrimp in the Gulf of Maine have been an- nounced. The program, coordinated by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the New Hampshire Fish and Game De- partment, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, is designed to provide biological data on the shrimp fi shery which is closed for the fourth year in a row. The Maine fi shermen have been chosen


from over 60 applicants, based on a random drawing of those fully qualifi ed in each re- gion. Qualifi cations include a demonstrated shrimp fi shing history, and successfully passing a Marine Patrol review of marine resource violations. Preference was given to trawlers will-


ing to participate in a test of a compound grate for harvesting. Compound grates are devices used by trawlers to reduce the catch of small shrimp. Maine harvesters chosen include trawl-


ers Vincent Balzano, Joseph Leask, and Rob Tetrault from western Maine, Troy Benner, David Osier and Arthur Poland Jr. from mid- coast Maine, and Randy Cushman and Glen Libby from eastern Maine. Shrimp trappers include Chad Gam-


age, Darryl Chadwick, George Gilbert and Robert Tracy from mid-coast Maine, and Thomas Riedel from eastern Maine. In response to the depleted condition


of the northern shrimp resource, the Atlan- tic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section extended the moratorium on commercial fi shing for the 2017 fi shing season. The Section also ap- proved a 53 metric ton research set aside


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(RSA) which will be used by the cooperative sampling program to provide managers with much-needed biological data. Biological data gathered will include size composition and egg hatch timing. In total, the sampling program will


include the participation of 10 trawlers (8 Maine trawlers, 1 Massachusetts trawler, and 1 New Hampshire trawler) and 5 Maine trappers, fi shing for 8 weeks from mid‐Jan- uary to mid‐March, 2017. The trawlers will be allowed a maxi-


mum trip limit of 1,200 pounds, with 1 trip per week, while the trappers will have a maximum possession limit of 500 pounds per week, with a 40 trap limit per vessel. All participants will provide shrimp samples to the Maine DMR weekly.


Scallop Season Update - January 6, 2017 Five weeks into the season and weather


is starting to take its toll. To provide the fi shery with greater fl exibility, the drag fl eet working in Zones 1 and 2, outside of the well-protected Cobscook Bay (Zone 3) area, now has an additional day per week to work around foul weather. When fi shermen are able to get out, they are reporting good catches.


While four areas closed on January 1


after meeting their harvest targets, sever- al Limited Access Areas across the state opened January 2, providing additional opportunity once a week to the drag fl eet in more protected areas. Boat prices remain strong and have even strengthened since the season’s opening. Many dealers are offering fishermen a “split” price; breaking their product down into U10s and run (all scallops above U10), valuing U10s at a premium. Multiple in-season surveys are current-


ly underway with industry collaborators across the state. Results will be compiled with fi shermen reports to evaluate future management actions. At this time, no addi- tional closures are warranted.


Scallop Season Update - January 13, 2017 After six weeks of harvest, fi shermen


across the state continue to report good catches, with most on their way back to the mooring by early afternoon with their daily limit. Foul weather resulted in the majority of the fl eet only being able to get out on Monday and Tuesday. Yet a few were able to work in the lee of islands and were re- warded with good prices at the dock, which for the most part, remained strong this week. However, with fi shermen taking longer in some areas of the state, the Department has been undertaking in-season surveys as well as speaking directly to industry members to evaluate whether fi shing grounds have met their targets. The Limited Access Areas, which


opened on January 2 for one day per week of harvest (in zones 1 and 2), have attracted a lot of eff ort over the past couple of weeks. For the opening of the Moosabec Reach Limited Access Area (in zone 2), known locally as ‘The Reach’ in Jonesport, approximately 57


2016 LOBSTER BOAT RACE CD


Over 800 photographs from all ten 2016 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.


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