April 2018 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. Commercial Fishing News M C F N


fi shery biologists John Manderson, Sarah Gaichas, and Sean Lucey will explore the wealth of scientifi c data that come to bear in an ecosystem framework for fi shery management. They’ll also discuss with the group implications for governance, and setting goals as well as prioritizing the use of ecosystem services. To experience the human dimensions


of the fi shery ecosystem, the workshop participants will visit the docks and marine businesses at Pt. Judith, RI. there, groundfi sh industry vessels involved in the NEFSC’s Cooperative Research Branch study fl eet will host visitors onboard, and demon- strate how they collect critical tow-by-tow acoustic and environmental data used in the ecosystem modeling and that helps inform stock assessments. Facilitated discussion periods will allow Andy Lipsky and Chris- topher Sarro of the Cooperative Research Branch, NEFSC Population Dynamics staff , and industry leaders to brainstorm about new data collection and how to incorporate study fl eet data into modeling to improve understanding of our ecosystem. Kiersten Curti, NEFSC fishery bi-


ologist, will talk about the 2017 Atlantic mackerel stock assessment. Workshops con- ducted during the assessment’s development provided a way for fi shermen to contribute information that helped inform multiple aspects of the assessment and to further thinking on trends in mackerel population ecology.


Geret DePiper, NEFSC economist,


plans to talk about fl eet diversity and eco- nomic indicators in an ecosystem context. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute


facilitated development of MREP’s Ecosys- tem-Based Fishery Management Workshop. It was designed by a planning team that included people from NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center and its Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Offi ce, federal fi shery management councils, and the seafood industry.


MAINE DMR NEWS Maine Commercial Harvesters Bring a


Half Billion Dollars in Harvested Prod- uct to Shore in 2017


AUGUSTA – Maine commercial fi shermen once again landed more than a half-billion dollars’ worth of marine resources in 2017. At $569,173,089, the total value stands as


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the fourth highest ever and marks only the sixth time that Maine harvesters have sur- passed $500,000,000. “Maine’s commercial harvesters have


again established our state as a leader in the sustainable, responsible management of marine resources,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Not only do they contribute greatly to our state’s economy, they consistently deliver the best seafood in the world.” Lobster landings in 2017 were the sixth


highest on record at 110,819,760 pounds, despite declining by 16 percent from 2016. Value also dropped from $4.08 a pound in 2016 to $3.91 a pound for an overall value of $433,789,855 which still represented the fourth highest landed value for Maine’s iconic fi shery. When accounting for bonus- es paid to harvesters by 15 of 20 Co-Ops, the overall landed value of lobster was $450,799,283. According to National Marine Fisher-


ies Service data, American lobster was the species of highest landed value in the U.S. in 2015 and 2016, and Maine’s landings accounted for approximately 80 percent of that landed value in 2016. Herring, the primary bait source for


the lobster industry, again represented the second most valuable commercial fi shery at $17,993,786 on the strength of a record per-pound price of twenty-seven cents. Har- vesters landed 66,453,073 pounds, most of which was harvested from the in-shore Gulf of Maine area known as Area 1A. Despite a drop of nearly 4 million


pounds landed and a dip of $3.8 million in value, Maine’s softshell clam industry re- mained the third most valuable commercial fi shery at $12,363,328. “Landings declined in part due to closures associated with harm- ful algal blooms,” said DMR Public Health Bureau Director Kohl Kanwit. The decline in value is due in part to reported increases in supply of softshell clams from outside Maine which aff ected the demand and value for Maine clams. Maine elver harvesters enjoyed another


season in which their fi shery was by far the most valuable on a per pound basis. Harvest- ers landed 9,343 pounds of the 9,688-pound state quota. At $1,303 a pound, the elver fi shery was valued at $12,155,672, the fi fth highest per pound and overall value in the history of the fi shery. Maine scallop harvesters landed the most scallops since 1997, bringing ashore


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793,544 meat pounds, a nearly 45 percent jump from 2016. At $9,300,111, scallop landings had the highest overall value since 1993. “Management measures developed in cooperation with industry are defi nitely yielding good results,” said Maine Depart- ment of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. Cobscook and Whiting/Dennys Bays


in zone 3 remained open longer during the 2016-2017 season than in the previous sea- son. Areas in zone 2 also benefi ted from 2 years of rotational closures leading up to the 2016/2017 season. “Maine’s scallop fi shery continues its impressive rebound thanks in large part to harvesters whose compliance with area closures and limits have been critical to the success of this fi shery,” said Commissioner Keliher. “The past year has underscored what


I’ve been saying for years now – that change is inevitable and we must be prepared,” said Commissioner Keliher. “This year’s decline in lobster landings is by no means a signal that the sky is falling. But it does highlight the need to make sure our management mea- sures adapt to change. This is true for all fi sh- eries. It is the best way to ensure resilience of our marine resources and opportunity for future generations.”


New Scientists Support DMR Research Priorities


BOOTHBAY HARBOR – The Maine De- partment of Marine Resources has hired two new scientists to support existing and new research priorities. Jesica Waller (right) of Newcastle,


Maine will be responsible for conducting biological studies on American lobster that will benefi t the Department’s understanding of the resource and contribute to future stock assessments. She will also support a new collaborative lobster research initiative that helps the Department respond and adapt to the changing Gulf of Maine ecosystem. Waller received a Bachelor of Science:


Marine and Freshwater, from the University of New Hampshire in 2013 and a Master of Science in Marine Biology from the Univer- sity of Maine in 2016. While pursuing her graduate degree,


Waller also served as an Intern at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, as a Fellow for the University of Maine Canadian-Amer- ican Center, and as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Maine’s Darling Center. After graduating, Waller served as a


Research Technician at the Bigelow Labora- tory, where she designed and performed lab- oratory and fi eld experiments for federally


Continued on Page 21.


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