I had the privilege of visiting several Maine seafood businesses in March at the Boston Seafood show, where I was proud to announce that Maine’s lobster fishery had received the prestigious Marine Stewardship Council’s Sustainable Seafood Certification. Last year, the harvest generated $338 million for lobstermen, thanks to record-breaking landings of our state’s favorite crustacean.
While lobsters are abundant, the state’s groundfish fleet is headed toward stormy seas. On May 1, the groundfish season started here in the Northeast, but for those who ply our waters in search of sought-after species like Atlantic cod, the year ahead looks grim.
As recently as 1990, an estimated 350 Maine-based vessels worked the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank for groundfish. Those boats landed more than 15 million pounds of Atlantic cod that year and millions more pounds of other groundfish species. That fleet created and supported thousands of jobs.
I am hopeful that someday we will once again reap the economic benefits of a robust groundfish industry, and I have worked toward that goal by supporting the elimination of sales tax on fuel for Maine’s commercial fishing vessels. I also support legislation to bring the groundfish fleet back to Maine.
But the challenges of keeping these businesses afloat here in Maine are daunting.
Federal regulations designed to rebuild groundfish stocks have created tremendous economic hardship for Maine’s fleet. There are now fewer than 50 groundfish vessels in Maine. Last year, they landed just 492,000 pounds of cod. The 5.2 million total pounds of groundfish landed in Maine was valued at about $6.7 million, compared with a lobster catch valued at $338 million.
Maine’s groundfish fleet has stayed well within its catch limits for years. But the fleet now faces a 77 percent reduction in the allowable catch for Gulf of Maine cod this season because the stocks are not recovering as fast as federal law requires. The far-reaching impacts of that reduction will be felt by vessel owners and their crews, as well as the shoreside infrastructure that supports the fishing industry.
Last year, the acting secretary of commerce designated the New England groundfish fishery an “economic disaster.” That cleared the way for emergency funds to help support the industry with financial assistance, job retraining, improved science and management. Despite the work of our Congressional delegation, those funds have yet to be appropriated. With this season now underway, we need to do what Mainers do best: we need to support our own.
So how can you and I support Maine’s proud groundfish heritage and future? We can buy local. Fresh, healthy Maine fish, just off the boat, is available through your local grocer, restaurant or through direct-to-consumer programs, like community supported fisheries. Maine’s community supported fisheries include Portland businesses Salt and Sea and Eat Local Fish, while Port Clyde Fresh Catch supplies the Midcoast.
By buying seafood landed in Maine, you can be sure you are enjoying the freshest fish possible and supporting Maine’s renowned fishing tradition.
Despite low catch limits, consumers can still feel good about eating Atlantic cod, which are harvested under the most stringent management measures in the world. But there are other fish that may be less familiar, but equally delicious, and they are plentiful. Last year, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute launched “Out of the Blue,” a promotion to increase consumer awareness of these underutilized species of fish harvested in the Gulf of Maine.
Find a local restaurant to sample fish that you may have never considered before, such as pollock, redfish and hake.
Prepared at the hands of expert chefs, these fish will open doors to new culinary experiences for Maine’s food lovers. By featuring these underappreciated species, restaurants also create new markets and provide additional value for Maine fishermen. For more information on the upcoming season of “Out of the Blue” promotions, visit gmri.org.
This year, I hope you will join me in supporting the hardworking men and women who have made the commitment, in the face of significant hardship, to land their catch in Maine and share their bounty with us.
Paul R. LePage is governor of Maine.