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Feature Articles
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ME confronts industry's future at Nov. 17 governor's conference
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This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
AUGUSTA, ME - Maine’s lobster and groundfish
fisheries will be two of the key subjects tackled by government
officials, elected representatives, industry and environmental
groups, and academics during the upcoming Blaine House Conference
on Natural Resource Industries.
Called by Gov. John Baldacci, the purpose of the conference is
to develop policies to help the state’s fishing, farming,
forestry, and aquaculture industries cope with the challenges
they are facing.
The goal is to develop a “creative and practical plan of
action to stabilize and sustain the natural resource-based economy
and the health of Maine’s rural communities,” stated
conference planners.
Today, only 13% of Mainers are making their living from these
industries compared to 80% of the workforce in the past.
Conference planners observed that “the once unthinkable
— that Maine’s lobster fishery is at risk of collapse
— is now being discussed by the lobstering community”
and “nearshore stocks of herring and groundfish have been
depleted with tragic consequences and prospects.”
Fisheries issues
According to the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), work is
already underway to come up with ways to address these fisheries-related
topics:
- Waterfront taxation — Members of the Waterfront Coalition,
the State Planning Office, and DMR are developing a proposal that
would offer tax relief and other policy tools to help sustain
the working waterfront.
- Lobster science — The concept of using an assessment on
licenses and/or landings to raise additional funds for lobster
science is being explored and specific ideas on how to do this
are welcome.
- Lobster policy — The state hopes to get the industry to
talk about several difficult subjects, including effort reduction,
especially in the event of an outbreak of disease; mandatory reporting;
and governance issues. It is not anticipated that specific initiatives
on these issues will introduced at the conference unless there
is broad public support.
- Groundfish — The governor’s new Task Force on Groundfish
(see story page 19A) is working on coming up with recommendations
for dealing with short- and long-term issues.
- Recreational fishing license — A recreational fishing
license has been proposed for the purpose of providing financial
support for public water access, inshore stock assessment, and
law enforcement. The license would cost about $20 a year and would
require legislative action to enact. And
- Aquaculture — The governor’s Task Force on Aquaculture
began work in July and is expected to make specific policy recommendations
by the start of next year.
In advance of the conference, DMR is encouraging members of the
public to send any thoughts or comments on these issues to: Sue
Inches, DMR, 21 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; or e-mail
sue.inches@maine.gov.
The Blaine House Conference on Natural Resource-based Industries
will be held on Nov. 17 at the Augusta Civic Center. Financial
supporters include the Finance Authority of Maine, the Maine Community
Foundation, and L.L. Bean.
Registration procedures should be finalized
by mid-October. More information on the planning process is available
on the Internet at http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/news/events.
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