Recently I wrote about the importance of Maine’s farms. In this column I’d like to look at another critical source of locally produced food: seafood; and what the Legislature has done to support Maine’s tradition of harvesting from the sea.
I am the Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Maine Resources Committee. It is our responsibility to work with the Department of Marine Resources to set policy that balances the needs of fishermen and our seafood industry with the long term health and viability of our marine resources.
On the one hand, the resources of the sea are limited, so we have to be careful about how we use them, and ensure sustainable fisheries in the long term. At the same time we have to make sure that we manage fisheries in ways that allow Maine people to make a good living by fishing.
Then there are environmental factors that we can’t control, but must adapt to. The lack of good hard freezes along the coastal marshes has led to real problems with destructive, invasive predatory species such as green crabs, which have no local predators.
There is no easy solution, but it is a problem we must plan for the best we can.
Even Maine’s lobster fishery, which is a shining example of long-term sustainability, has challenges. Though they are in the midst of several years of record high catches, prices are down, so it is hard for lobster fishermen to make a profit. And this has been the case for several years.
Last year the problem was especially bad, with lobsters shedding early due to warm water, and there was a real glut on the market. Something had to be done to increase the ability to process lobsters in Maine and to increase demand in general to prevent a recurrence.
In the private sector, there has been some expansion of lobster processing in the state, making it easier for lobster fishermen to sell their catch when the demand for fresh lobster is lower.
In the Legislature, we created a lobster marketing program, like the very successful wild Maine blueberry marketing program, to increase demand for Maine lobster.
It will take a few years before it has a major impact, but we expect increasing demand will increase boat prices, helping support this vital Maine industry. Our primary goal is to help Maine lobstermen, which is why there will be a third-party auditor evaluating the effectiveness of the program for lobstermen.
Another bill this session set criteria for what to include in future fishery management plans – what we know about a fishery, what influences its health, and what other species depend upon it.
We expect stakeholder involvement in the development of these plans, because we need the best knowledge and ideas of fishermen and scientists to make the best plans. Some say if you ask three fishermen for an answer you’re likely to get at least four opinions, but I think we can all agree that we want fishing to have a viable future, and that good stewardship is essential.
These are just some of the actions the Legislature took last session to support our seafood industry. There is more work to be done next session, and I look forward to continuing our efforts. In the meantime, I hope you get a chance to enjoy some our wonderful local seafood soon.
(Senator Christopher Johnson, D-Somerville, represents Senate District 20, which includes all Lincoln County towns except Dresden, along with Windsor in Kennebec County, and Washington and Friendship in Knox County.)
