Articles
With a little help, the Portland Fish Exchange weathers Amendment 13
Hank Soule manages the Portland Fish Exchange, and he knew that when Amendment 13 went into effect on May 1, 2004, the Exchange would take a hit. In developing the 2004 budget, he and the Exchange’s Board of Directors planned for a substantial drop in volume. The exchange, with its display auction, has been so
From Newfoundland to New York, No Lines in the Sea
In days gone by, when a lobsterman’s world was limited to his own harbor and the surrounding bays, state government, let alone federal government, barely intruded. Now, with U.S. federal laws and regulations on lobster fishing layered over state laws and regulations, and all interacting with their Canadian and provincial counterparts, lobstermen everywhere have a
Not Scaring the Kids: New Security Planned for Maine’s Ferries
July 1, 2004, is the deadline for the Maine State Ferry Service and Casco Bay Lines to be in full compliance with Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA). Effective nationwide, MTSA applies to anything relative to maritime transportation – cargo and passengers – adjacent, on or under navigatible waters. Passengers can expect themselves, their vehicles and
Commissioner: “Close the Fishery”
“I’m here to deliver a message sterner and harsher than last year,” said George Lapointe, Commissioner of Department of Marine Resources (DMR), told the Sea Urchin Zone Council at its Feb. 12 meeting. “The best action is to close this fishery,” Lapointe said, having analyzed the season so far with input from scientists and harvesters.
Advisory Council: Selling Licenses a Bad Idea
Three members of the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee attended the Lobster Advisory Council’s meeting in early November. Senator Dennis Damon (D-Trenton), Rep. Jeff Kaelin (R-Winterport) and Rep. Leila Percy (D-Phippsburg) wanted to hear what Council members thought about LD 276, which would permit the sale of lobster licenses. Senator Damon is Senate co-chair of the
Former German prisoners visit North Haven
Three Germans landed in North Haven on Sept. 18 to talk about their lives as German soldiers in World War II and then as prisoners of war held in Houlton, Maine. The former POWs, Rudi Richter, Dr. Hans Augustine and Gerhard Kleindt, spent day at the North Haven Community School (NHCS) talking with students and
City shows off designs for Ocean Gateway
Portland got a first look at the Phase 1 plans for its Ocean Gateway Project on Oct. 10. The Ocean Gateway project includes over 18 acres on the east side of Portland’s waterfront district. The project starts at the Maine State Pier where the Casco Bay Ferry Lines dock, eastward to the foot of Munjoy
Midcoast group proposes a community marine resource center
Three long-time supporters of Maine fishermen and Maine fish pitched their plans for a community marine resource center in Stonington at a gathering in North Haven. It was the first of several such meetings in fishing communities from Penobscot Bay to Blue Hill Bay and into the eastern Gulf of Maine. Robin Alden, Ted Ames
Maine prepares for Governor’s natural resource summit
Preparing for Gov. John Baldacci’s Natural Resources Summit, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has enlisted the help of two respected experts in Maine fisheries. Prof. Jim Wilson, professor of Marine Sciences and Resource Economics at the University of Maine, Orono, is working on a groundfish paper. Spencer Apollonio, former DMR Commissioner, prepared the paper
State revenues drop, license fees go up
Commercial fishermen will see their license fees increase by 25 percent in 2004 as a direct result in the $1.1 billion revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund. The increase will go into the General Fund to help erase that deficit. The state Department of Marine Resources (DMR) was required to cut its budget by