All Maine lobstermen are facing big challenges: new rope requirements intended to reduce risk to North Atlantic Right Whales put a financial strain on lobstermen at the same time that lobster prices plummeted; herring quota cuts threaten to cause bait shortages and cost increases; and development and rising land values are squeezing out traditional working waterfront uses.
But members of the Vinalhaven Lobstermen’s Co-operative are taking these challenges head on. They’ve tapped into the state’s Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program (WWAPP)-a state program that purchases restrictive covenants on working waterfront properties-and constructed a 900-square foot bait freezer and refrigeration building. This project will provide bait security and ensure working waterfront access to the island’s fishermen in perpetuity.
In addition, the Spruce Head Fishermen’s Co-op also received a $166,250 award from the WWAPP in exchange for a restrive covenant that limits any future residential or recreational uses on the co-op’s quarter-acre parcel on Seal Cove in South Thomaston, according to a January 12 press release. “We have over 50 boats that fish from this property,” said Co-op President Bob Baines in the press release. We and our families depend on this piece of land for our livelihood.” The Seal Cove co-op’s parcel includes 74 feet of shoreline, a series of floats, a building to store bait and supplies and office space.
The Vinalhaven co-op is an integral part of the island. Formed in 1972, it serves about 60 boats, has 84 members, supports 100 island families and boasts the island’s only gas station.
The co-op gets its bait from two sources. Frozen bait, usually rock fish, comes on a truck via ferry boat, which adds expense and ordering headaches. “I can’t just call up and get a truckload of bait. I have to deal with the ferry,” explained Carol Hamilton, co-op manager.
The co-op also purchases bait from the O’Hara Corporation-owned vessel, Starlight, which pumps bait fish, usually herring, directly into tanks at the co-op. But as federal regulations reduce days at sea for the herring fleet, the time periods between the Starlight’s visits grow longer.
During the peak season, the co-op can go through a couple hundred bushels of bait each day, according to Hamilton.
The co-op’s lack of bait storage space was causing problems. Order too much, and the excess sat outside and spoiled. Order too little, and lobstermen didn’t have enough to bait their traps.
“We were in trouble. We had to do something,” said Ted Johansen, who serves as an advisor to the Vinalhaven co-op board.
Hamilton returned from an annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum with information about the state’s WWAPP. She and Johansen began work on a grant proposal, which was ultimately successful. The Vinalhaven co-op received $178,750 in WWAPP funding to purchase a covenant on their two acres.
“We had to go through quite a few hoops,” she said. Not only did they pull together the proposal in record time (they were aiming for the first of the two application rounds in order to increase their chances of success), they also had to track down historical property information and go through several appraisals.
Construction costs were higher because of “the island factor”-ferrying in construction materials and crews. They also had to pay permitting costs as well as the costs of constructing a special foundation that allows the building to swap back and forth between cooler and freezer, depending on the season.
In the end, having the new cold storage building come on line in November 2009 was worth it. “It’s helped already,” said Hamilton.
Now, the co-op can order more bait at once. They don’t have to worry about losing money on spoiled bait and they have more storage space. “Before, you had to unload the trailer to get at the stuff in the back or to see what you had,” said Hamilton.
“We wouldn’t have got the building if this grant weren’t available,” said co-op member, Steve Rosen.
Vinalhaven co-op members are still facing the same problems that the rest of the lobster industry is facing. Co-op member Courtland Tolman says lower lobster prices and increasing regulation are two of the biggest problems facing the industry and young lobstermen in particular. “There’s no way you can start up without someone helping,” he said.
Rosen agrees. “It’s a graying population,” he said. He also listed bait supply as a challenge. “It’s frustrating seeing how herring is regulated,” he said.
Doug Littlefield thinks the sinking rope requirement, which was enacted in April 2009, “creates more problems than it helps.” Still, the co-op members feel positively about protecting their working waterfront and constructing the cold storage building. This project will make the co-op more competitive and more attractive for new members, they say.
“It was about finding out what had to be done and getting it done,” said Johansen.
Hanna Wheeler is the outreach coordinator for the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.