Glen’s brother Gary has been fishing a net developed by Pinnegue He at the New Hampshire Sea Grant. (See Gearing Up For Shrimp Season. Page 12) The net, called a topless net, virtually eliminates bycatch. It has had a large section of the top removed from the leading edge to allow most everything other than shrimp to swim over the head rope, and avoid being sent into the cod end. Glen said there have been skeptical fishermen about the new nets, but brother Gary has been catching as much as anyone who is using conventional nets. The benefits have been the elimination of sorting, lower fuel costs since this net tows easily, and it has no impact on other species. Libby noted having clean gear like this in place will be essential in a bid for starting a summer shrimp season. Marine research scientist Ken LaValley at UNH Sea Grant helped get 10 of these nets for Port Clyde fishermen. The season was extended this year to 180 days from 151 last year, and proposals have been made for an experimental summer season in 2010. If the trend continues some see the possibility of rebuilding the markets and infrastructure in the shrimp fishery which disappeared in the 1990’s. At that time regulators cut the shrimp season so short it could not support processors or supply markets. At the same time overseas shrimp grow out facilities were spreading like viruses, and flooding the U.S. with cheap shrimp. Shrimp has overtaken tuna as America’s most consumed seafood. The depletion of markets that followed the 1990’s season cuts have been the biggest hurdle for Maine shrimp fishermen. The shrimp fishermen of Port Clyde, along with the Mid Coast Fishermen’s Association (MFA) have participated in efforts to process and market their catch themselves. While they still sell to the processors they have traditionally supplied, they have also built a processing plant. Port Clyde Fresh Catch is the market end of the MFA. They sell whole shelled and cooked shrimp to markets as far as New York City. Their fresh shrimp products appeared in a New York Times dining section article on January 12, 2010. While that, Libby said, hasn’t produced a boom in demand, it indicates an acceptance of Gulf of Maine shrimp in a large and particular market. Port Clyde Fresh Catch is seeing rapid expansion of online sales. Spencer Fuller at Cozy Harbor Seafood, one of Maine’s largest buyers of Gulf of Maine shrimp (pendulus borealis), said it has been a better season than he has seen in a while. The volume has been good, there is a strong 4 and 5 year class, with a fairly constant supply from Newburyport, MA to Southwest Harbor. This season is “very different in terms of markets,” said Fuller. Fuller described it as a classic unfolding of the shrimp season as far as when and where the shrimp show. Fishing has been good and the prices have held. He said as the season peaks around the end of January those with less market can drop their price, and it can lower the price for everyone. However, Fuller mentioned some of the factors driving market changes. He said prices are strong from a processors standpoint. There has been what he called a backlash from the 2009 inventory. The biggest other fisheries ran short. Newfoundland brought in 50,000 metric tons less than their TAC. The United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and Greenland were all off and shorted the market by 18,000 metric tons. These countries use a smaller shrimp, 125 to 175 per pound count, compared to the average Maine shrimp with around a 110 per pound count. A fraction of that European demand has moved up in size to Gulf of Maine shrimp. It is a small fraction of that market, but it is a very large market and has had an impact on prices here. Vince Balazano, Saco, said shrimp quality has been good. He is finding some small shrimp still mixed in with larger ones in the shallower water. They are also spread out and spotty as of January 19th. He is seeing a fair amount of summer fish still around as well. “The markets are absolutely better this season’ said Balazano. He said he hasn’t seen markets this good since the short seasons ten years ago. The 16 cent price increase over last year is welcome, but somewhat dampened by the price of fuel he said. There is, he thought, potential for a summer season. “I’d like too see it, it is needed. But fishermen have to prove its viability. My family shrimped year round in the mid 1970’s.” The UK is the largest market for shrimp. California harvests shrimp similar in size to pendulus borealis and there is demand there for Maine shrimp as well. Prospects for the future for Maine shrimp fishermen at this point appear to be in an expanded season, cleaner gear to help make that happen, and marketing plans that add value to sales closer to home. |
