CBFA Press Release

COBSCOOK BAY FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION

Officers and Board                                                         Milton Chute
Chair- Leo Murray                                                     Bill Daye
Vice Chair- Jeff Smith                                                Mike McConnell
Secretary- Julie K. Hodgkins                                   Bruce McInnis
Treasurer- Randy Newcomb                                    David Pottle
Randy Wright

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leo Murray (207) 733-4782

JANUARY 9, 2001

Fishermen's Association Proposes 120 Pound Catch Limits For Scallops

COBSCOOK BAY - -In response to the record number of boats fishing in the Bay on opening day of scallop season, the Cobscook Bay Fishermen’s Association decided to reduce a proposed daily catch limit for scallops from 180 pounds to 120 pounds at a meeting on January 4^th at the Boat School in Eastport. A letter sent to all scallop license holders around the Bay invited fishermen to attend the meeting as "the last chance to make changes to the proposals before they are sent to Augusta". Leo Murray, of Lubec, President of the Association, reminded the 25 participants at the meeting of the three proposals being prepared for the Legislature to conserve the scallop resource in the Bay:

A daily catch limit of 180 pounds of scallop meats
A scallop meat count of 40 meats per pound
No shucking on the sorting table.

Murray reported that given the record setting number of 178 boats and low average catches that he had received "quite a few comments that a daily catch limit of 180 pounds might be too high". The CBFA members present voted on whether they supported 180, 150, 135, 120, or 100 pound daily catch limits. There was a clear preference for the 120-135 pound range, with 120 pounds winning the most support.

After discussing the difficulty of enforcing a daily catch limit based on weight, the meeting agreed to measure the daily catch limit by volume. The daily catch limit would be approximately three five-gallon buckets of scallop meats or approximately 13 gallons. A comparable volume measure for scallops in the shell will be developed. Participants agreed to a proposed 5% tolerance on the daily catch limit.

Participants agreed that penalties need to be substantially increased to ensure that the proposed laws are effective. Under current law, the fine for cutting small scallops is only $200, an amount that some consider simply the cost of doing business. Association members proposed that the fine for a first offense be increased to $250 and be accompanied by the loss of the day’s catch. The suggested penalty for a second offense was loss of the scallop license for one year. It was suggested that these penalties be written directly into the proposed legislation. All of these proposals are applicable to Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River.

These proposals are being made in an attempt to fulfill the mission of the Cobscook Bay Fishermen's Association, which is the conservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of the marine resources of Cobscook Bay.

Senator Kevin Shorey has submitted three scallop conservation titles to the Legislature for the 2001 session. The Fishermen’s Association has hired lawyer Jon Doyle to lobby the legislature on behalf of Cobscook fishermen.

Participants at the meeting acknowledged the importance of fundraising to support the Cobscook conservation plans. While individual fishermen have pledged money towards hiring a lobbyist, money will also be needed for travel to Augusta, for lodging while attending public hearings and work sessions, and for other costs associated with trying to protect the local resource and the communities that depend on them. Association members discussed plans for fundraising that include public suppers, raffles, and soliciting support from local businesses and organizations. Donations in support of the Fishermen’s Association can be sent to CBFA, c/o Randy Newcomb, Treasurer, 279 South Meadow Road, Perry, Maine 04667.

Leo Murray gave an overview of Fishermen’s Association activities regarding urchins and aquaculture. The CBFA recommended Danny Fitzsimmons of Lubec to serve on the Maine Urchin Zone Council. Since his appointment, Fitzsimmons and CBFA board members have attended Zone Council meetings and highlighted problems associated with people leasing their urchin licenses and expressed support for an urchin reseeding study in Cobscook Bay.

This Cobscook participation on the Urchin Zone Council has met with a positive response, resulting in the DMR holding a public hearing on the issue of urchin license leasing, and in DMR scientists making plans to work with the Fishermen’s Association on an "Urchin Translocation Study" this spring. DMR scientist Robert Russell hopes to answer the following questions through the study:

What are the survival rates of reseeded urchins?
What are the changes in roe content and quality?
What is the effect of reseeding on the seaweed that provides the food source for urchins?

Murray reported that he and Association Vice-President Jeff Smith, of Eastport, had met with a representative of the DMR to express concerns with the aquaculture leasing process. Improvements they would like to see include:

More input from fishermen when siting leases in Cobscook Bay,
Scheduling DMR underwater video surveys in the fall before scallop and urchin seasons open rather than conducting surveys in the spring after harvest has just ended, and
Addressing problems associated with transferring and subleasing of sites.

A number of suggestions were made regarding future scallop conservation measures, including further gear restrictions such as increasing ring size. Tom Pottle presented a four-page document with a list of suggestions that might be considered for a long term management plan. Dr. Tim Linley of the WCTC Marine Technology Center gave a brief overview of the scallop stock assessment study that he is coordinating in Cobscook Bay this spring.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 18^th at the Edmunds Consolidated School.

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