Governor Janet Mills surprised many in Maine’s fishing communities when she announced on November 20 her administration’s intent to apply to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for a lease to construct an offshore … Continue reading
In an abrupt decision, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) announced on December 15 that the application process for Vineyard Wind, a wind energy development in federal waters off Massachusetts, was terminated. The final … Continue reading
In a few more months, I will have been working out of DMR’s Augusta Office (more affectionately referred to as “the bait shed”) for two years and I wonder where the time has gone? When … Continue reading
I ended last year’s guest column optimistically looking ahead to 2020, to ending the uncertainties of 2019. Few could have predicted that in addition to ongoing trade policy challenges, the world would face a global … Continue reading
Recent Updates and Information. The In-person Forum has been canceled. The Maine Fishermen’s Forum has been serving the commercial fishing community of Maine for over 45 years, and even though they are unable to host … Continue reading
The Year in Review I’m not sure that Franklin D. Roosevelt had the Maine lobster industry in mind when he said, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and … Continue reading
In December 2019, $1.6 million in federal funds were re-appropriated to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to support recovery actions for the North Atlantic right whale. The funds are intended to assist the … Continue reading
As 2020 slowly draws to a close, I’d like to share with you one last monthly update on the work of Maine DMR before we close the books on a year of challenges. Policy and … Continue reading
First published by the Ellsworth American and reprinted with permission Like nearly every facet of life, the pandemic has affected the state aquaculture industry, the Maine Aquaculture Advisory Council made clear in a virtual meeting … Continue reading
Lobstermen use their hands and wrists more intensively than workers in many other jobs. The actions of hauling traps, removing the lobsters, measuring, banding, tossing back undersized lobsters, rebaiting, closing the trap and resetting involve … Continue reading
