Eastern Maine Skippers at
Fishermen’s Forum

Eastern Maine Skippers Program students exhibited the results of their fisheries research at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum on March 2, 2018 in Rockport, Maine. Julie Keene, right, a consultant, discusses a presentation with students. Fishermen’s Voice photo

The Eastern Maine Skippers Program had a great turnout at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, Maine. The Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries organizes and coordinates the program with eight coastal high schools. Students presented their research on 18 different projects in posters exhibited at the forum on March 2, 2018.

There were about 100 students exhibiting, 20 teachers and staff and a large room full of family members. The student researchers explained their projects, which were set up along the walls of the room.

Examples of the range of projects the students have taken on at three of the schools are:

Stonington Deer Isle High School students worked on three lobster industry projects. They included lobster catch rates data and population projections; whale regulations and how they affect fishing and possible solutions such as break-aways, etc.; redesigning the lobster boat deck for safety, ergonomics and efficiency and changes to lobster traps that may make them easier to handle and safer to use.

Mount Desert Island High School divided their program into two parts. The freshmen and sophomores studied bait alternatives and prices, as well as the bait industry as a whole. They also looked at the urchin fishery, including who in their community is fishing urchins and an experiment in growing urchins in class.

The juniors and seniors looked at the relations, problems and solutions between fishermen and the cruise ship industry. They are considering this as a whole by talking with fishermen, exploring topics such as gear loss from cruise ship interactions.

Narraguagus High School has a freshman and sophomore group studying the shrimp fishery. They are researching the suspension of shrimp fishing in Maine, the DMR research shrimp tows and working with Maggie Smith at the DMR. They will be getting an experimental shrimp license and will be fishing with fishermen who have volunteered to take the students.

The juniors and seniors are studying possible solutions to whale entanglements with lobster gear, and the Endangered Species Act. They are looking at the use of technology such as GPS tracking of whales and sea turtles, etc.

The Eastern Maine Skippers Program is a $300,000 annual project funded by grants, foundations, private donations and individual community support from lobster dealers, boat builders and others; and is expected to be an ongoing project. Students with the Eastern

Maine Skippers Program will give their final presentation for this year at 5pm on May 24, 2018 at the Grand Theatre in Ellsworth, ME.