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Mandatory Data: “Leave It The Frig Alone”
“If you make this mandatory, you’re going to get reports, but they’re going to be bullshit,” said Spencer Joyce of Swans Island. Rick Bubar of Stonington wanted to know why the ASMFC presumed to dictate what Maine should do. Several people pointed out that Maine is, by far, the biggest lobster producer. “The lobster industry is huge right now,” said Bubar. “What more do you need to find out whatever we’ve done in the past is working? Leave it the frig alone.” Fishermen said the current system of dealer reports is enough. They said they’re tired of paperwork. “I’m totally against all this logbook reporting shit,” said Bubar. One man said no one’s going to offer up truthful information. “How is anyone going to reveal their secrets?” he said. Fishermen said they were worried about where the information was going to go and how it would be used. The comments responded to a proposal to establish a system that would have harvesters reporting their trip data and catch estimates and dealers reporting landing weights. Harvester reports would include a unique trip ID that would link them to their dealer’s report, vessel number, trip start date, statistical area location, traps hauled, traps set, quantity, and trip length. Dealer reports would include an ID that would link them to their harvesters, species, quantity, state and port of landing, market grade and category, areas fished and hours fished.
“We need to have a better handle on what’s being landed,” Wilson said. If abundance declines, Wilson said, it would be good to make informed decisions based on good information about the level of the resource. Wilson said the information required would be pretty basic – who, what, when and where, which in itself would be “leaps and bounds beyond where we’re at now.” Wilson said the information will not be such that it would inform a quota system. Department of Marine Resources Director of External Affairs Terry Stockwell said unique identifiers and vessel names link catch to effort and help track trends in the resource. Jen Bubar wanted to know what would happen if Maine refused to comply with the program Stockwell said if the state is out of compliance, ultimately the secretary of state would impose a penalty that would disallow the industry from engaging in interstate commerce, which would prevent lobster from legally crossing state lines.
“Where we are today is huge…as far as understanding what’s being landed and what’s going overboard,” said Wilson. “And a lot of people in this room have contributed to advancing the science.” Jon Carter, chairman of the Zone B Lobster Council and the Lobster Conservation Management Team for Area 1, said Mr. Wilson and the DMR have worked hard to promote Maine’s standards, such as V-notching, in other states. He asked the gathering to consider the value of the program. “They thumbed their noses at us,” Carter said of other states. “But they’ve come on board, and Canada, too. We can’t stop.” Carter said the program seems to be moving things in the right direction, especially, he said, given the backing of Wilson, who helped the industry tremendously. “We’re a frustrated bunch of fishermen and enough’s enough,” said Joyce. “I guess I’m saying it could be so much worse than it is today,” said Carter. “This is not going away.” The gathering didn’t go for the proposal. The sentiment was the same in Machias, said Stockwell. In Rockland, he said, there was a mixed response; the consensus seemed to be that, it’s coming anyway, so fishermen might as well make it work for them. Folks can see the public comment document at www.asmfc.org under “breaking news.” Board review and final approval are expected to be complete by February 2007. For more information, contact Toni Kerns, Senior Fisheries Management Plan coordinator for Management, (202) 289-6400. |
