Bring It All Back Home
by Brenda Treadwell

Phil Conkling, at the community based fisheries seminar, expressed concern that the process, the Downeast Initiative and community based fisheries management was not moving fast enough. Photo: Fishermen’s Voice

The 31st Annual Fishermen’s Forum, held March 2-4 at the Samoset Resort, featured seminars focusing upon community-based collaborative efforts and fisheries management issues pertinent to the future of Maine’s fishing industry.

Jim Wilson of the School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, hosted “Downeast Initiative: An Up-date.” The seminar assessed the progress of the Downeast Groundfish Initiative, a group whose efforts are designed to monitor and protect habitats and spawning areas. The development of a pilot program with a local ’co-management’ governing structure was one goal discussed by the panel of speakers, which included Ted Hoskins of the Saltwater Network; Dana Rice, of D. B. Rice Fisheries in Birch Harbor; Commercial Fisherman Dwight Carver of Beals Island; and Ted Ames and Robin Alden of the Penobscot East Resource Center in Stonington.

The Downeast Initiative works to provide access to groundfish resources in the eastern Gulf of Maine to Downeast fishermen.

“We can either continue to do what we are doing, or explore alternatives,” said Ames.

Under present State and Federal law, limited days at sea force fishermen into the stressful situation of trying to squeeze ‘year’s work’ into a short number of days. Limited by the price of fuel and time, inshore fleets are forced closer to shore to fish the grounds most endangered. Groundfish spawn solely on the coastal shelf—the area where they are most depleted.

“The bottom line is that we need to develop a strategy that allows stocks to recover, and we need a system that allows fishing-based communities and fishermen a voice, which families, communities, and businesses economically dependent upon fishing have not been granted under State and Federal governance,” Ames said.

Ames said fishermen need a ’framework’ in which to operate, preferably led by elected fishermen who would assist in the rebuilding of stocks. Ames’ chief goal is to find, as he puts it, “a logical way to remove pressure from [groundfish] habitats that will improve what we have, and not cut anyone out. Where fishermen take an active role in conservation of stocks and gain more control over their livelihood.”

While Ames’ gut feeling is that there is a solution out there, he also feels that “we’re not there yet” in terms of creating a functional governance system. “Communities, Fishermen and Managers must work in a common effort,” he said. Ames served as an advisor to the New England Fisheries Management Council for several years. Fishing advocate Maggie Raymond of Associated Maine Fisheries deals with fishing industry issues at the top of the legislative food chain as well.

Ames said fishermen need a ’framework’ in which to operate, preferably led by elected fishermen who would assist in the rebuilding of stocks. Ames’ chief goal is to find, as he puts it, “a logical way to remove pressure from [groundfish] habitats that will improve what we have, and not cut anyone out. Photo: Fishermen’s Voice

“Whether it’s town hall, or politics at another level, there’s no easy solution,” said Raymond. –“People think it will be easier with a community level approach…but problems exist at every level of management. There is no avoiding it; the people who criticize the [New England Fisheries Management] Council most, are the ones who are least involved in it.”

Raymond is concerned that when the meetings are moved from Massachusetts to Washington D. C., Maine’s attendance will go down. Raymond said she works as an advocate because it is already difficult for individuals who need to be heard to do all that traveling. It cuts too deeply into their already limited workdays. She said that needed changes, which affect the lives and livelihoods of those involved in the fishing industry, will improve with grassroots community stewardship, conservation, and study of lobster and fish stocks. However,it will require strong advocacy in the State and Federal arenas in addition to these programs.

In terms of creating a new governance structure, there has been what Ted Ames refers to as a paradigm shift —traditional management that is not working is being replaced by a system, which is still in the process of being established. Ames also points out the dangers of a “consolidation” trend already set in motion by smaller boats being forced out of business.

“When 80 percent of fish is caught by no more than 50 boats in a fleet of 1000, the [economic] balance is dangerously shifting,” he said. Strong community support of local fleets can offset the imbalance, Ames said. He said he does not want to see this consolidation trend result in fishermen working as “sharecroppers for one or two large companies.”

Thus, the strong focus on fishing communities working together, and networking on the village level to sustain and conserve inshore resources for the smaller boats to harvest.

“We need a governance structure that’s functional more than we need a single large management structure,” Ames said.

Jim Wilson agrees with that theory. He said the reason American fishermen need to pay attention to the current situation happening in Canadian waters is that similar problems are already working their way down the coast. “In the Downeast region there is almost nobody left with a federal permit for groundfishing, and that could result in a permanent loss of access,” he said.

The community-based-fisheries that have been most successful—particularly in Maine—involve the lobster industry. By Brenda TreadwellLee Hudson of Frenchman Bay Fisheries—a family-run mussel business—recently participated in a DMR study. “We got John Sowles out there on my boat, and he saw what musselling was all about,” said Hudson. “Scientists need to be more mindful regarding fishing methods and individual species and recognize that in their collection of data. They need to be out there on the workboats, using applied science, instead of taking things out of context, in order to get accurate results.”

Hudson said that fisheries will be managed differently in the near future and fishermen have an opportunity to have a say m that. She said the goal is not to train fishermen as scientists, but to train scientists as fishermen. According to Hudson, mussels “aren’t even on the radar screen” study-wise, and that “there are only a small number of families affected by the success of mussel fisheries.– There are only about 50 licensed mussel harvesters in the whole state of Maine. Usually, it’s a crew of 2 men and the captain.”

Hudson appreciates that the Maine Mussel Association is there as a resource and has adapted the credo of the Marine Stewardship Council to describe her goals for the future of Frenchman Bay Fisheries. They are: “To work towards an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable future.” Hudson suggested that anyone with questions on the subject should read Obstacles and Opportunities for Community-Based Fisheries Management, published by Coastal Enterprises.

When asked his opinion of the latest developments regarding the issues facing Maine’s fishing industry, Phillip Conklin of The Island Institute said, “The Downeast Initiative is an important piece of the puzzle and the key idea is that there needs to be a distinction between inshore and offshore zones, with finer, more ecologically based management closer to shore. Downeast fishermen now need to link up with other areas within the Gulf of Maine and the other New England regions facing the same issues, otherwise there might not be enough power behind them.” Conklin added that it is time to expand the vision and include other fishing regions with similar goals so that the Downeast region is not working in isolation.