L E T T E R S   T O   T H E   E D I T O R

Fixing Lobster Licensing

After reading the Islander articles “Lobster License Wait is Debated” (September 29, 2015) and “Limited Entry for Lobster Fishery Debated” (September 7, 2015), the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) should re-define the current rules for entry and removal of Maine commercial lobster licenses.

The only method for Mainers over 23 to enter the lobster fishery is through the apprentice program. The apprentice program requires adult Mainers to invest a minimum of 24 months, in which they must log 1,000 hours of labor and 200 days of fishing, in the lobster fishery as apprentices. Once an apprentice completes this initial time investment and passes a written test on Maine lobster fishery rules and regulations, the apprentice is given a place within their management zone on the lobster license waiting list. According to the September 29, 2015 Islander article, Zone B has 55 names on the waiting list, and the individuals at the top of that waiting list have been on the list for more than 10 years (since May 2005). This represents a significant barrier for local Mainers wishing to enter and create local jobs in the lobster fishery. While there are many arguments in support of the current limited entry system, one simple change could be made to this process that would significantly decrease the amount of time Mainers spend on that waiting list – reclaiming lobster licenses that are not being actively fished. According to the September 7, 2015 Islander article, DMR records state approximately 1,000 of the currently held lobster licenses had no registered lobster landing in 2014. This number represents 16.6% of the commercial Maine lobster licenses issued that year (6,040; DMR lobster license annual summary). Further, within the Mount Desert Island community there are individual lobster license holders who make a specific and deliberate choice not to utilize their lobster licenses while also choosing not to return them to the state. Specifically, one Bar Harbor lobsterman sold his boat in 2012, and has worked as a sternman on another Bar Harbor boat for the past two years. Stating publicly he has no plans of buying another boat to fish, he continues to hold his Maine lobster license. By making this choice, this lobsterman has filled a fishery job that was previously held by another adult MDI resident, and simultaneously withheld the opportunity for an MDI resident on the waiting list to enter the lobster fishery, an action that should provide two jobs to adult residents on MDI.

As DMR is considering instituting changes to Maine lobster fishery licensing, they should consider a rule requiring lobster licenses without registered lobster landings during the previous 2 years to be returned to the state. This time limit takes into account the possibility for lobstermen to experience unexpected health issues, financial hardships, and/or family situations that require immediate attention, without losing their licenses as a result. It is highly unlikely that in Maine, a working lobster license holder stops working entirely for a period of 24 months, simply for economic reasons. Thus, reclaiming lobster licenses that have not been utilized for 2 years will allow them to be more efficiently redistributed to Mainers on the waiting list, reducing the total wait time for lobster license seekers.

Instead of having DMR “dragging their feet, kicking the can, or pushing a rope” as DMR Commissioner Jack Keliher often puts it, it is well within DMR’s ability to just put a bung in it and fix it.

Sincerely,
Jack Wilde, Resident, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Voices and Visibility Raised to Inform

This organization was founded on the principle that our fishermen, and the fishing industry, were not getting their voices heard and we wanted that to change. In the constant clamor over catch limits, stock assessments and bycatch there is little respect afforded to people whose livelihood rests squarely on an ability to discern what is occurring in the ocean month to month.

In recent months CSF has ramped up its efforts to highlight the problems facing the industry and our groundfishermen in particular. CSF board members Dave Goethel and John Haran have been highly visible on both local and national media on the issue of industry funding of at-sea monitors. CSF program director Don Cuddy has gained valuable exposure for our mission with his excellent op-ed pieces and also with the recent documentary Counting Fish, filmed on the SMAST yellowtail survey trip.

Our efforts to educate a wider audience about commercial fishing and the hardworking people who preserve its culture and traditions are paying off, using these editorials, talk radio appearances and with social media such as You Tube and Facebook. A complete redesign of the CSF web site is also in the works. The new CSF site will provide an industry perspective on what is happening in New England and beyond. As we all know, at most council meetings nowadays the only people not paid to attend are a handful of fishermen, leaving NGO’s free to promote an anti-fishing agenda. CSF exists to counter the negative portrayal of America’s oldest industry by such extremists who always seem to be extremely well-funded.

In contrast CSF, as a bare bones non-profit, relies entirely on donations to continue its work. That is why we are now asking for your help. We feel that momentum for change is gathering force and that our work over the last year has played some part in that. We would like to continue our efforts. But CSF cannot do any of it without aid and support from those on whose behalf we have undertaken the struggle. That is why we are now asking for a donation, in whatever amount, to help us achieve better outcomes for fishermen and the fishing industry.

It’s easy to make your donation to CSF on our web site http://www.centerforsustainablefisheries.org using our secure Pay Pal account. All donations are welcome, will be gratefully acknowledged and are fully tax-deductible. We look forward to working with industry in 2016 with the confidence that we can make a difference.

Thank you for your attention.

Signed for the CSF board:
Scott W. Lang
Center For Sustainable Fisheries
115 Orchard Street
New Bedford, MA 02740