Fishermen Protest New Scallop Regs

[Commercial Dragger]

Fishermen Protest New Scallop Regs
Written by Hugh Bowden
Thursday, October 09, 2008

Robbie Gray of Deer Isle (facing camera) waits his turn to speak during a hearing held Monday at Ellsworth City Hall to discuss Department of Marine Resources proposals to impose sharp restrictions on scallop harvesting in Maine.—STAFF PHOTO BY HUGH BOWDEN

ELLSWORTH — One by one, fishermen from throughout Hancock County and beyond stepped to the microphone Monday night to oppose sharp restrictions being proposed by the Maine Department of Marine Resources for the upcoming scallop harvesting season.

In often halting and emotional voices, they took strong issue with proposed rules that would shrink the number of allowed fishing days to 52 with fishing only on designated days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday), impose daily possession limits of 200 pounds of scallop meats, and create six closed areas along the Maine coast.

Approximately 60 scallop harvesters — draggers and divers alike — filled nearly every seat in the City Hall auditorium.

They listened politely as DMR biologist Togue Brawn spoke briefly of the department’s plans for “bold action” to restore a scallop fishery that has “declined precipitously” in recent years.

But when it was their turn to speak, the gloves came off.

Many, if not most, of the men — and a few women — in the audience argued that scallops come and go in cycles and, left alone, the fishery likely would restore itself over time.

Not one of them spoke in support of the DMR proposals.

“Leave the scallops alone,” said John Jones of Deer Isle. “They’ll come back.”

“How much conservation do you need?” asked Dana Black, observing that with the decline in scallop harvesters in recent years, “you’re lucky to see one boat out there in February.”

“I would like to see the DMR stay out of it and let the lobster zones take care of it,” said **** Bridges of Deer Isle.

Speaker after speaker told DMR representatives Brawn and Laurice Churchill, who conducted the hearing, that allowing fishing only on designated days would put fishermen at greater risk.

“The weather doesn’t know if it’s Monday,” said Mount Desert Island fisherman Bruce Damon.

The rules would force fishermen onto the water on days when they shouldn’t be out there, he said.

“This is the harshest time of year for any of us to be out there,” said Damon. “It will force people who go scalloping to really get in trouble.”

Several fishermen recommended that, if the 52-day limit stands, the designated days be eliminated, allowing more flexibility in coping with the winter weather.

Otherwise, said Jim Dow of Bass Harbor, “people will be out there on days they shouldn’t be out there.”

Another fisherman questioned whether there is a scientific basis behind the department’s proposals.

“The fishermen in this room know more about scallops than any scientist around,” said longtime Bar Harbor fisherman Jon Carter. “You want to regulate something you know nothing about.”

David Leach of Steuben was equally blunt.

“This is getting pathetic,” he declared, asserting that DMR policy-makers have “already got your minds made up.”

There is no doubt that Maine’s scallop industry is in trouble. In 1997, Maine fishermen landed more than 7.5 million pounds of whole scallops — a little more than 905,000 pounds of scallop meats — worth some $6.8 million. The average boat price was $7.47 per pound.

Last year, according to the DMR, landings were 1.3 million pounds of whole scallops — about 158,000 pounds of meats. Although the average boat price was $8.07, the total landed value of the Maine scallop catch was just under $1.3 million.

The ever-present conflict between two very different harvesting techniques also surfaced during the hearing.

Some draggers noted that, while drags may leave behind as many scallops as they take, divers can harvest everything they can see.

They blamed divers for depleting the resource by coming along behind draggers in an area and harvesting scallops left behind that otherwise would be remain on the bottom to reseed.

“My drag doesn’t have an eyeball,” said one fisherman.

Sue Buxton of Stonington said the DMR should engage in research to determine “whether divers or draggers are harder on things.”

She also urged the department to consider setting an overall poundage limit for the season, rather than the 200-pounds-per-day proposal.

Like others, though, she was adamantly against the entire DMR plan.

Given the current economic downturn and financial hardships already confronting Mainers, “this is a terrible time to be adding this on,” she said.

Under the DMR plan, scalloping would be prohibited for three years in six areas along the coast.

Of particular concern to Hancock County fishermen are areas off Mount Desert Island and Western Penobscot Bay off Cape Rosier in Brooksville.

The Mount Desert Island closure is defined as follows:

Western Boundary: Beginning at Bass Harbor Head, thence due southeast to the southernmost end of Great Duck Island, then due south 180 degrees magnetic to the three-mile limit.

Eastern Boundary: Beginning at Schoodic Point, thence due south 180 degrees magnetic to the three-mile limit.

The Western Penobscot Closure is defined as follows:

Western Boundary: Beginning at Marshall Point, Port Clyde, due south 180 degrees magnetic to the three-mile limit.

Eastern Boundary: Tip of Cape Rosier, thence southwest to the Penobscot Bay buoy, thence southerly to the TB1 whistle southwest of Junken Ledge, thence southeasterly to the Red Nun No. 10 buoy at Foster Ledges, thence due south 180 degrees magnetic to the three-mile limit.

Other closed areas would be located near the boundary between the United States and Canada in Washington County, the Jonesport-Beals area, the Casco Bay area and near the Maine-New Hampshire boundary. The still productive Cobscook Bay fishery would remain open.

Enforcement of those closed areas also was called into question.

“How are you going to enforce these lines?” asked Robbie Gray of Deer Isle. “You’re going to make criminals out of fishermen.”

Policing the closed area boundaries isn’t the only enforcement issue facing DMR. According to Sen. Denis Damon, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee, Governor John Baldacci has ordered the agency to cut 10 percent from its budget for the coming fiscal year.

“That’s $1 million,” Damon said Tuesday morning. “That’s people and programs.”

John Higgins suggested that the DMR proposal is not a “strategic plan” at all.

“I would much rather see us move toward the way we manage the lobster industry — with more local authority,” said Higgins. “We’ve already set the table on how to do that and I’m not big on reinventing the wheel.”

Andy Mace of Southwest Harbor is an area representative on Maine’s Scallop Advisory Council.

Mace emphasized that the council doesn’t make policy, but said that “a lot of us didn’t go along with all of this.”

Mace said efforts should focus more on enhancement of the resource and less on restrictions.

“I don’t see any upside coming from more regulations,” he said. “We’re trying to steer something that’s beyond our steerage.”

source: http://ellsworthmaine...view&id=17280&Itemid=1

[codfishshark]

i worked deck in that area for a fall lobster run into the winter. these guys starve as it is. they do not need another closure. this is painful to see in my eyes as i always thought it was the last new england frontier