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“For the past 62 years the Maine Lobstermen’s Association has advocated for lobstermen from all parts of the Maine coast. Its longevity is due to the men and women who make up its membership. Staying strong and relevant means successfully drawing new members into the association year after year..”
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Current News
Vital Study of Lobster Gear Begins This Month
The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) study of vertical lines used in the lobster fishery kicks off in full this month. The three-year project, funded by a $714,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Section 6 Species Recovery program, will study the strength of rope used by lobstermen in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Whale News
Senators call for greater Canadian protections
A group of New England senators is calling on the U.S. government to speed up an analysis of Canada’s efforts to protect the endangeredNorth American right whale, and to consider trade action if Canada’s rules do not prove as strong as in the U.S. The senators say U.S. fishermen have made big sacrifices to reduce impacts on the whales. Now they’re calling on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate whether fishermen in Canada are being held to similar standards. If not, they say, then NOAA should consider barring the import of Canadian seafood from the relevant fisheries. The letter to NOAA was co-signed by senators from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
Continue reading ‘Whale News’ here
Quota For Herring Expected to Drop in 2019
Nothing chills the hearts of lobstermen more than the prospect of a bait shortage. Herring comprise the majority of bait purchased by Maine’s approximately 4,500 licensed lobstermen and even the whisper of a possible shortage causes lobstermen to mutter grimly over the marine radio.
Events
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- Tags 5k Alewives Allagash Brewing aquaculture ASFMC ASMFC Atlantic Herring Atlantic Salmon beer benefit Blueberries Boat building boat races Boats BOEM Boothbay carnival charity clams climate change coast Coast Guard Contra dance conversation Coral crafts Damariscotta dining Directors Meeting drill conductor training Eastport ecosystem Eel eels elvers enrollment festival film Fishery food free fundraiser GMRI Grant Submission deadline Green Bee Green crab. Sea Grant groundfish habitat halibut health insurance healthcare herring Island jonah crab kids event Leadership Lights lobster Lobster Advisory Council Lobster Boat lobster boat race lobster boat races Lobster Draft Addendum lobster festival lobster quality lobster roll Lobster Zone Council lobstermen Machias maine fisheries maine fishing Maine history maine lobster Maine seafood marketing MCFA menhaden mid coast MLA MLCA benefit MLMC music mussels National Lobster day NEFMC NOAA ocean conservancy Oil drilling open enrollment Otto's Pizza oyster pizza pizzza Relief Fund research Research Proposal river herring Rockland rockweed Rudy's of the Cape Safety Safety training Salmon Santa Claus Scallop scallops Schoodic Sea State lectures sea urchins seafood Seafood Expo North America seaweed Shellfish shrimp silent auction skate Stonington surf clams Survival training sustainability sustainable fishing town meeting Trade show trucks Tuna Vinalhaven weather webinar whales yarmouth Zone A Zone B Zone C Zone D Zone E Zone F Zone G
Sending comments? Written comments must be received at the NEFMC office no later than 8 a.m., Thursday, September 20, 2018 to be considered at this meeting. Please address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn or Executive Director Tom Nies at: NEFMC, 50 Water St., Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Email submissions should be sent to comments@nefmc.org.
Monday, September 24, 2018
2:00 p.m. Introductions and Announcements (Chairman Dr. John Quinn)
2:05 Swearing-In of Reappointed Council Members (Regional Administrator Mike Pentony)
2:15 Election of 2018-2019 Officers
2:35 Reports on Recent Activities Council Chairman, Council Executive Director, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement
4:05 Small-Mesh Multispecies (Whiting) Committee Report (Vincent Balzano)
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
8:30 a.m.Research Set-Aside Program (RSA) Review (Dr. Mike Sissenwine)
9:00 Atlantic Herring and Atlantic Sea Scallop Benchmark Stock Assessments (Dr. Jim Weinberg, NEFSC)
10:15 Scallop Committee Report (Vincent Balzano)
12:30 p.m.Lunch Break
1:45 Atlantic Herring Committee Report (Peter Kendall)
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
8:30 a.m.Revised Stock Assessment Process (Deputy Director Chris Kellogg)
9:15 Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (Terry Stockwell)
9:30 Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) Report (Kathy Sosebee, NEFSC)
10:15 Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Report Part 1 (SSC Chair Jason McNamee)
10:35 Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) Report (Terry Stockwell)
11:05 Scientific and Statistical Committee Report Part 2 (SSC Chair Jason McNamee)
11:45 Groundfish Committee Report (Terry Stockwell)
12:25 p.m.Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) (Brian Hooker)
12:30 Lunch Break
1:45 Groundfish Committee Report Continued
2:45 Open Period for Public Comment Opportunity for the public to provide brief comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda (please limit remarks to 3-5 minutes)
3:00 Council Program Review (Executive Director Tom Nies)
3:30 Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) (Rick Bellavance)
3:45 North Atlantic Shortfin Mako Sharks (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries HMS Staff)
4:15 Marine Recreational Information Program (Richard Cody, NOAA Fisheries)
Thursday, September 27, 2018
8:30 a.m.2019 Council Priorities – Initial Discussion (Executive Director Tom Nies)
9:30 Habitat Committee Report (Doug Grout)
11:30 Research Steering Committee Report (Dr. Matt McKenzie)
12:30 p.m.Lunch Break
1:30 Legislative Update (David Whaley)
1:45 Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) (Dr. Lisa Kerr; John Pappalardo)
3:45 Skate Report (Dr. Matt McKenzie)
4:05 Fisheries Allocation Policy Directive (Executive Director Tom Nies)
4:35 Other Business
This meeting will be recorded. Consistent with 16 USC 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.
We welcome all members of Maine’s vibrant seafood industry to join us for the 2018 Seafood Industry Gubernatorial Forum. Hosted in Rockland, we have invited candidates for Governor: Alan Caron, Janet Mills, Shawn Moody, and Terry Hayes for Governor. This is your opportunity to hear their stances on industry issues and the future they see for those work on and around the Gulf of Maine.
Host Committee Organizations: Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Lobstermen’s Association, IAMAW Maine Lobstering Union – Local 207, Alewife Harvesters of Maine, Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, and the Maine Aquaculture Association.
Tickets are FREE, but we do ask that you RSVP to the event.
You can RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite, see links below.
https://www.facebook.com/events/246959472609785/
https://maineseafoodgubernatorialforum.eventbrite.com
