Having been denied permission to land lobsters, members of Maine’s groundfish industry are saying they may have to consider moving or expanding their businesses further south.
Many in the industry had supported LD 1097, a bill that would have allowed groundfishing boats to bring lobster bycatch ashore in Maine. The measure would have brought extra fishing income to Maine and helped Maine’s groundfish fleet and shore-side infrastructure stay afloat as they face tighter restrictions on groundfish stocks, they said.
But the bill went down in defeat last week when the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee unanimously voted against the bill. The bill’s defeat means that Maine will continue to allow only lobsters caught in traps to be brought ashore in the state — and, according to groundfishery industry members, will ensure that many Maine groundfish boats continue to offload their catch in Gloucester, Mass., where lobsters caught by trawlers can be kept and sold.
Click here to read the full story from the Bangor Daily News >
