Along the Maine waterfront there are a number of municipally owned docking, berthing, unloading and service facilities dedicated to the commercial fishing industry. In these times of declining fish stocks, ever-changing regulations, and rising pressures for recreational and non-marine uses of waterfront property, some of these fish piers have been facing uneasy and threatened futures.
Stonington, Rockland, and Portland all have city owned fishing facilities, and despite very different business approaches, all of these facilities face recently declining revenues, in some cases opening public debate on possible alternative uses of these properties, such as recreational use. As fishermen and communities struggle to preserve the place of traditional marine industries, many see the maintenance of these access facilities as critical to preserving a viable commercial fishing presence.
Rockland
Rockland established a downtown Fish Pier with a federal development grant in the early 1980s, and according to City Manager Tom Hall the facility has, until last year generated a profit, most of which was reinvested into facility improvements. With income generated primarily through fees on landings of urchins and herring, the pier did well through the 1990s until, says Hall, “the urchins just went bust.” Herring landings have also declined due to regulation and market changes, and with the two largest income streams diminished at the same time, the contracted management company was unable to meet rent obligations and gave up the facility.
Rockland officials took over the operation on January 1, after having tried to find another private operator but failing to attract any bidders at the time. The city plans to operate the pier for one year, and then try again to turn the management over to another outside contractor.
Hall said that the city is committed to keeping the facility dedicated to commercial fishing support, while also noting “recreational boating is clearly a growing sector in Rockland.” Mentioning that “the current city council is committed to keeping a working presence in the harbor, but the pier must to be able to pay itÃs own way,” he also noted that commercial fish vessels, often unloading in the early morning, and visiting yachts do not always make good berthmates. Non-marine use is not an option, as the property is currently deed restricted, a provision that expires in 2008.
Rockland’s Fish Pier will not be greatly affected by the projected groundfishing downturn, as it relied primarily on herring and urchins, but Hall noted “we would like it to be a diversified facility, and that if the landings were leveled out amongst the fisheries, I believe Pier income could improve and generate a profit.”
The city is currently conducting a future economic feasibility study for the facility, as well as investigating the possibility of building a large cold storage structure on the site.
Stonington
The Stonington Fish Pier also currently relies primarily on one species: in its case, lobster. Lobster landings have been at record levels in recent years, and this has helped to keep revenues fairly steady for the operation, but Town Manager Rich Avery noted that there has still been a drop over the last two years. “As long as lobster keeps up, we are probably in better shape than most,” he noted, while also mentioning that the once large Stonington groundfish fleet was pretty well gone by the time he assumed the job in the mid 1990s. Currently there are no full-time groundfishermen left in the harbor.
Avery also noted that it is unresolved if the pier will service recreational vessels.
“The Harbor Committee has discussed on-the-dock fuel service as one way of helping to make up the income shortfall,” he said, mentioning that increased user fees were also being considered. Yearly fees are currently $10 per foot for a vessel to use the pier for unloading, and $1,000 for each buyer truck. The decline in the number of urchin buying trucks has also contributed to the revenue drop, he noted.
Portland
The Portland Fish Exchange is by far the largest municipally owned facility serving commercial fishermen in the state. The Fish Exchange handles the vast majority of all the groundfish landed in Maine, selling over 24 million pounds of fresh fish through public auctions in 2001. Over 239 fishing vessels use the pier, with 180 of those home-berthed in the Portland area. The Exchange is one of the primary shoreside supports for the commercial fishing industry in Portland, helping to make the city the second ranked fishing port in New England, and the twelfth largest fishing port in the U.S., with an total estimated economic impact for fishing in excess of $400 million.
According to Portland Fish Exchange General Manager Norman MacIntyre, a drop in groundfish landings is expected for the coming year. Landings dropped last year as well, he noted, and he expects the total landings for the coming year to be around 20 million pounds. This drop is attributable to the mandated reduction in groundfishing effort that came as a result of a recent court settlement (see related story) designed to rebuild stocks.
Much of the Portland Fish Exchange’s income is directly dependent on groundfish landings, says MacIntyre, and there is little or no volume of lobster, tuna, urchins or other non-groundfish species sold through the facility. While he noted that the latest groundfishing regulation changes will cause considerable hardship to boats, processors and the Exchange alike, MacIntyre also said that the Exchange’s strong dependence on groundfish does not represent a significant risk to the future existence of the facility. “We will weather this downturn in landings,” he said, “and with fish stocks rebuilding, I am confident that the City of Portland will remain committed to a working waterfront and a facility for commercial fishermen.”
He did not believe there was sentiment in city government to convert the facility to recreational, cruise, or other non-fishing use. “Without this industry there would be no heart to the working waterfront Portland has worked to preserve, and we will get through this,” he said.