More than 60 elver harvesters from throughout Maine, and others interested in the fishery, heard a call to action from Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Jeffrey Pierce, April 13, at the Soule-Shuman VFW Post in Waldoboro.
After introducing the six-member board of directors, Pierce read the text of a letter of response to Addendum III to the Fishery Management Plan for American Eel.
“We’ve crammed two years’ work into two weeks,” Pierce said of the effort to organize and craft a response to the Atlantic State’s Fisheries Management Commission’s proposed rule changes. “Now we have six weeks to do one more year’s work.”
Pierce told those present the ASFMC proposal offers five options designed to maintain the fishery’s sustainability.
Among those options are quotas, which MEFA does not support, and additional reporting, which the organization does support. They also endorse a closer working relationship with biologists and other scientists, to develop statistical evidence of the health of the resource.
In addition, MEFA letter calls for closure of Maine’s yellow and silver eel fisheries and a reduction of the limit for recreational elver fishermen, to 25 eels per day.
The association has also advocated that small hydroelectric facilities and turbines licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission be turned off for four days in September and October, to coincide with the new moon cycle during which American eels spawn.
“This will save thousands and thousands of mature spawning eels alone from being turned into fish meal, just in Maine,” the letter states.
The ASFMC’s management plan is scheduled for approval and implementation Tuesday, May 21. Pierce said the rules were made with input from fishermen in other states where resources and methods differ. He said MEFA must have its response to Addendum III ready by April 21, to be part of the Eel Board’s briefing package.
Pierce and MEFA Co-director member Darryl Young announced plans to travel to Alexandria, Va. for that meeting and invited others to join them.
“Our goal is to have them ask each state to write its own plan with the approval of the technical committee,” Pierce said.
Pierce also discussed L.D. 632, a bill in the Maine Legislature that was designed to improve enforcement in the industry.
According to Pierce, an alewife fisherman who was hired by MEFA to help them get organized, the new rules were created to address poaching by unlicensed fishermen. Primary among the rules is one calling for all transactions between harvesters and buyers to be paid for by check.
A mandatory fine of $2000 on the first offense and loss of license on the second are among the penalties that sellers would incur for failing to properly track sales.
Dealers would also be subject to fines and possible loss of the ability to do business in Maine.
Because L.D. 632 was submitted and passed as an emergency bill, it will take effect immediately upon receiving the governor’s signature.
Pierce asked the harvesters to reach out to their legislators and Gov. Paul LePage to make their wishes known.
Finally, Pierce made a pitch for new members, asking those present to pay $250 each to support the efforts he and the board are making. At the Waldoboro meeting and a subsequent one in Ellsworth, 57 new members enrolled, bringing the total to approximately 125, out of 407 total elver license holders.
Abden Simmons of Waldoboro was elected to the board, joining Young, of Franklin; Travis Atwood, of Bucksport; Merton Hanscom Jr., of Orland; Gregory Blackler, of Waldoboro; and Treasurer Amanda Poland, of Newcastle.
According to the website at maineelver.org, “The purpose of the MEFA is to encourage and promote conservation, habitat restoration, and unimpeded passage, to promote sustainability in harvest plans, and to encourage community-based management plans that ensure the health of the elver fishery, so that they can be harvested annually.” The organization also conducts lobbying efforts among state and federal agencies, legislators and Congress.
“Maine Elver fishermen earned nearly $900 per pound after demand spiked in Asia following the Japanese tsunami,” the website states. “Last year, the average price continued to rise to nearly $2,000 per pound. Dealers are now offering fishermen from $1700 to $2000 per pound for this season’s catch which runs from March 22 through May 31.”
For more information contact Jeffrey Pierce at jeffrey@alewifeharvesters.org or visit the MEFA website at http://www.maineelver.org.
