Forum Revisited

The 2010 Maine Fishermen's Forum has come and gone, and to me it seemed more sedate than the 2009 version. The likeliest reason for this is the lack of impending federal rope rules hanging over the lobster industry. The rules were about to go into effect at last year's forum, which had a lot of Maine's fishermen feeling sour about their industry.
Of course, things aren't great this year. Fishermen are dealing with significant scallop closures imposed by the state because of declining scallop stocks. They are concerned about the sharp reduction in the federal herring quota, which has been cited by Bumble Bee Foods as the reason it plans next month to shut down the sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor, where 128 people are expected to lose their jobs. It's the last remaining sardine cannery in the United States.
Lobster fishermen also are concerned about the availability and price of fresh herring, which is their preferred choice of bait for their traps. Another concern for lobstermen is the average annual boat price (what they are paid for their catch), which last year fell below $3 for the first time since 1998. But that's a reflection of the market, not of any direct government regulation on the lobster industry.
The list goes on. New groundfish regulations are set to go into effect in May. The prospects of wind, wave and tidal energy being developed on Maine's coast means fishermen will have less room in which to ply their trade. And there is mounting evidence that the oceans are becoming more acidic, which isn't good for most living things.
But, as I said, the mood seemed lighter this year than last. Despite the low price of lobster, the recorded landings in Maine for the tasty crustacean were higher in 2009 than they ever have been, which is a good sign for the health of the resource and for the future, whenever the price picks up again. Shrimp landings are on pace to hit their highest level in the past 13 years (see DMR's historical data) and the price is higher this winter than it has been in about half a dozen years. These aren't necessarily reasons for celebration - given the likelihood that no Maine fisherman makes his or her living solely off of shrimp - but they help to undercut lingering pessimism about the economy.
Maybe the lighter mood was a reflection of 12 certain people who were at the forum on Friday morning. They all seem to think they have a chance of being Maine's next governor, so they have to have some sort of confidence about the future. Not surprisingly, they all pledged to help support Maine's commercial fishing industry but, because there were so many of them, they weren't able to work much else into the session's two-hour time limit.
Anyway, everyone at the forum has to be a little hopeful about the future, or they probably wouldn't be there.
NOTES: Which gubernatorial candidates were there? In alphabetical order: Steve Abbott, Eliot Cutler, Matt Jacobson, Paul LePage, Peter Mills, Libby Mitchell, Les Otten, John Richardson, Steve Rowe, Rosa Scarcelli and Lynne Williams - and that's only half the number running. Other political notables past and present at the forum included Linda Bean, Legislature members Leila Percy, Dennis Damon, Hannah Pingree, Ed Mazurek, and all four members of Maine's congressional delegation (Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, Sen. Olympia Snowe). . . People in the know remain relatively upbeat that the Bumble Bee cannery in Prospect Harbor will be reborn and a lobster processor with other species capabilities. Who the new owner might be, and whether they plan to do it solo or with Bumble Bee's help, is being kept under wraps. Some suggest there could be news to report as early as next week. . . Supermarkets continue to focus on making sure their foods are sustainably cultivated, including seafood. A Hannaford executive told a group at the forum that the Maine-based grocery firm plans to have independent sources verify the sustainability of their seafood, but the word "verify" connotes something slightly different than "certify," which is the word people tend to use when they refer to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Wal-Mart has said it plans to sell only MSC-certified seafood, a label some in Maine's lobster industry want for themselves. But not everyone in Maine's lobster fishery likes the idea. . . Attendees say one of the most popular items at the forum's Friday night auction was a reusable Hannaford shopping bag with a photo of a lobsterman on one side (and a cow on the other). The lobsterman depicted is Steve Train of Long Island, who is on the forum's board of directors. Hannaford brought at least a few boxes of the bag, so many people got the chance to take one home without having to bid on it. But the auction raises money for scholarships, so whoever bid highest for the bag (see below) did so for a good cause.