L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R
Open Letter to the
Searsport Planning Board
I write to express the urgent need for intelligent decision making about environmental stewardship in Maine. A mammoth LP gas tank at the edge of Searsport harbor is the very essence of folly at this point in history. The risks involved for the many are wildly out of proportion to the benefits that might be enjoyed, in the form of profits, by a very few.
This area cannot take the risk of a tank that, in the best scenario, will cause pollution from trucks and more fossil fuel burning, and in the worst case could cause a disaster the likes of towering inferno.. Examine one of the many gas explosions such as in West Virginia this month and you will know why the majority of people in Searsport, the surrounding communities, and the rest of Maine are strongly opposed to the tank proposal.
Also, now is the time to pull back from ruinous policies involving the extraction, transport, storage and combustion of fossil fuels. Largely as the result of fossil fuel burning, coastal areas such as Searsport are already subject to sea levels rising, and this trend is expected to continue unless sustainable energy sources are rapidly substituted for antiquated petroleum products.
Will Maine still be Vacationland after your decision has been made? When I was born here the coast and inland waterways were famously beautiful, and rainbow trout was the best treat in the world. Now pregnant women and small children are advised not to eat rainbow trout. Generations of for-profit use of natural resources is rapidly destroying Maine as we knew it.
Consider carefully what your legacy will be to future generations in Maine.
Respectfully,
Lisa Savage
Bowdoin ‘77
Solon, Maine
Cuts or Stay the Course
I am writing because I’m concerned about a lot of things going on in our fishing industry. As everyone knows we had a very good year, the best year ever despite the price. Our landings were up quite a bit from previous years. Some people did very well despite our price being $2.00 or less a pound in June and July. Some fishermen were catching twice as many lobsters as they had in previous years.
I have heard so many rumors that certain persons want a reduction in traps and days out fishing. I frankly think this is bull, and just a ploy from those who’ve had their hay day and now don’t want anybody else to do well. A good 75 percent of the fishermen have made good livings this past year. And the other 25 percent wouldn’t make it even if lobsters were $10 a pound. Most of this is because they simply won’t put the effort in to their business to make it run properly.
Cutting the trap limit back will hurt us, because a lot of fishermen have full time stern-men who have their own full time lobster licenses that are not being used currently. If the limit s cut back these stern-men will have no choice but to start using their licenses therefore putting more traps in the water, which defeats the purpose anyhow. Fishermen cannot earn enough when only hauling 400 traps or being limited to only 3 fishing days a week.
Last summer several fishermen were opposed to the strike (tying up) because they had been catching two or three thousand pounds a day. That is over $4,000.00 a day in profit. Where else can that much money be made in one day if your not a lawyer or a doctor? I am just asking for people to consider the fishermen who still have the drive to work hard and have put their time in and just want things to stay the same. Listen to their opinions too, not just those who do not want to go hard or the ones who can retire and don’t care. If they want to go easier, let them, they shouldn’t dictate how the rest of the industry can work. Why should the ones who are doing well suffer.
We should be looking at new ways to market and advertise our product. Half the reason people aren’t buying lobster down south is $30 or $40 a pound price in a restaurant or store. We need more processing plants in Maine and New England. We should advertise how healthy lobster is for people. Overall, I’m tired of people trying to take money out of our pockets, while steadily trying to cut us back. Our fishermen make the majority of their money between June and October.
Many of us have children, house payments, boat payments and other things we work hard for. It is not right for a few people who cannot make it in fishing to take from those who are doing well. Any ruling on cutting our trap limit and days out will do more harm than good. If you can’t make it in this industry maybe it’s time to find a new profession. Like many, I’ve worked very hard for what I have and the 800 traps. I’ve never taken a hand out and people need to stop expecting one to be given to them.
Seth Ciomei
Stonington, Maine