Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS May 2014 Commercial Fishing News From the Director – REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF DELA
It looks like spring is on its way! Wow, this has been the longest winter that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. The last time that it snowed, we went to let the dog out.. he looked out the door and sat down on his haunches, totally disgusted. Now we’re
Check out our second location!
Yamaha Marine Center of Freeport Rt. 1, Freeport 207-869-4007
starting to see some green grass peek out and even a few spring fl owers. Let’s start this report with welcoming our new members, David Kramer of Deer Isle and Sarah Redmond, Maine Sea Grant of Franklin, Maine. It is always a pleasure to welcome new members to D.E.L.A.! Please remember, our membership is not just for Washington and Hancock counties as in the original charter of 1991. We have members that are in all of the lobster zones of Maine as well as New Hampshire, Massachusetts and as far as Washington State.
A NEW TAKE ON POWER AND PERFORMANCE.
THE NEW YAMAHA F70 MIDRANGE FOUR STROKE:
• 80 pounds lighter than its closest four stroke competitor
• Greatest power-to-weight ratio in its class, with a 16-valve SOHC design
• Surprising midrange punch
• 2.33:1 gear ratio for outstanding acceleration
• C.A.R.B. 3-Star Rated
• Perfect for lightweight fishing boats and pontoons
Find the new Yamaha F70 midrange at
YamahaOutboards.com or at this Yamaha Marine Dealer.
New Meadows Marina 450 Bath Road
Brunswick, ME 04011 207-443-6277
www.newmeadowsmarina.com 120
Perhaps some of you are not up-to-date with our D.E.L.A. Board of Directors. We do plan to prepare a page in the Maine Coastal News that proudly shows our Associate Members and Directors with their contact information. Our D.E.L.A. Directors are as listed: President; Hilton Turner - Stonington, Vice President; Nick Lemieux - Cutler, Sec/ Treasurer; Mike Dassatt - Belfast, Richard Alley – Addison, Glenn Beal – Beals, Robert Fortin – Cutler, John Chipman, Sr. – Birch Harbor, Michael Faulkingham – Winter Harbor, Walter Day – Vinalhaven, Leroy Bridges – Deer Isle, Clive Farrin – Boothbay Harbor, Norbert Lemieux – Cutler, John Chipman, Jr. – Birch Harbor, Ethan Turner – Stonington, Terry Savage – Mount Desert Island & Sheila Dassatt, Executive Director – Belfast. Our Board of Directors, D.E.L.A. lobstermen, their families and Associate members are all part of an association that helps to support our independent and traditional way of life in the Maine lobster industry. I’d like to “Thank” each and every one for your support! This is my 10th
year
with D.E.L.A. and I couldn’t have “stuck it out” and learned how it all works without your support.
This past month, Mike and I have
been very busy staying in touch with communications if we haven’t been able to attend meetings. The Commissioner had his series of meetings along the coast and I understand this gave everyone an opportunity to ask any questions of concern. Mike and I apologize. We were not able to attend due to a recovery time after Mike’s surgery. His surgery went well, but has an extensive healing time. He is doing much better now and his hearing is becoming restored. We have made a lot of trips to Portland for follow-ups and are headed there early in the morning for another check-up. All in all, we are very thankful for the skill of his surgeon and everyone’s prayers. We were able to attend the meeting that was held in Belfast, Hutchinson Center concerning the Army Corps of Engineers and the Penobscot Bay Dredging project. This has been a strong issue in this area. The one thing that we all want to make clear is that D.E.L.A. is not against the maintenance dredging. The expansion dredge is of concern due to the location of the dumping of the silt and spoils. If they dump the silt in the Belfast site, it will be on top of a lot of lobsters that have burrowed for the cold weather. The suggestion has been to move the material up land to a location that may be able to use it. We have been told that this would be too expensive. If you have concerns, please follow the suggested meetings that are coming up in the near future.
The one thing that I have noticed as I have said in a few reports back….when I started with D.E.L.A., there was a lot of political issues going on. Now, there are still the political issues along with (10 years later) global warming (I know this is hard to believe with this past winter) but it is a
concern. This is accompanied with research in Penobscot Bay for mercury contamination (due to industrial dumping), studies on shell disease, invasive crabs that are eating up our clam beds and now urchin problems. This is just the beginning of a change that I hope we are all paying attention to. Now they have proposed ocean wind farms instead of wind mills in the “County” so send them to the coast. People say that the lobstermen “over react” to everything proposed, but it just seems that it is O.K. to keep pushing us to our limits. Have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah, the whale rules are back!
What I am trying to say is that we have been with the industry long enough now, to have some background knowledge on these issues. I do believe in the “test of time” and the longer we are in the industry, the better we learn about what is going on. Please feel free to contact D.E.L.A. with your concerns any time
Our next D.E.L.A. meeting is Thursday, May 8th
at 6:00 p.m. at Jasper’s Restaurant in Ellsworth. Our guest is Sarah Redmond of Maine Sea Grant speaking with us about another method of harvesting in the ocean. The sustainable farming of seaweed leads to better kelp beds and helps to feed and protect our marine habitat. Seaweed can be harvested by raking wild beds or kelp farms. We are always searching for solutions to some of our concerns with living from the ocean.
Please come and support our D.E.L.A. membership…we’ll see you there! Sheila
DMR News Continued from Page 11.
the best available scientifi c information. “This is a tremendous honor,” said Commissioner Keliher. “I have spent the majority of my career working to restore and sustain Maine’s marine resources, and I am looking forward to working with NASCO’s international membership to foster cooper- ation and information exchange on the wide range of issues impacting a species that is so important to our state’s history.
“This position will in no way impact time and commitment I devote to the work of the Maine Department of Marine Resourc- es,” said Commissioner Keliher. “I am con- fi dent that I will be able to work effectively with NASCO to advance its objectives while at the same time continuing to give my full attention to DMR’s constituents.” Governor Paul R. LePage appointed
Keliher fi rst as Acting Marine Resources Commissioner and then Commissioner. Throughout his career he has held numerous leadership positions in fi sheries manage- ment organizations.
Atlantic salmon once returned by the hundreds of thousands to most major rivers along the northeastern United States, but now only return in small numbers to rivers in Maine. Commercial fi shing for the species currently is prohibited by law and the Gulf of Maine population is protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The Maine Department of Marine Re- sources Division of Searun Fisheries and Habitat’s mission is to protect, conserve, restore, manage and enhance diadromous fi sh populations, including Atlantic Salmon, and their habitat in all waters of the State; to secure a sustainable recreational fi shery for diadromous species; and to conduct and coordinate projects involving research, planning, management, restoration or prop- agation of diadromous fi shes.
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