Good Afternoon,
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage (PMFH) continues its work around the state. Upcoming hearings on aquaculture leases include a lease for oysters and quahogs on the Damariscotta River. For a full list of hearings please look at the DMR website.
https://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/index.html
There have been several articles in the news and I wanted to point out one from Protecting Maine’s Fishing Heritage on page 4 in the Landings newspaper: https://mlcalliance.org/pdf/newsletter-october-2019.pdf
Steve Sutela of Warren also was published in the Courier–Gazette. His letter is regarding concerns lobstermen from the South Thomaston area have about a pending kelp lease. You can read more here.
By way of background, Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage is a statewide organization looking to find reasonable rules and regulations around a growing aquaculture industry so lobstermen, fishermen and those who recreate on the water don’t lose access to the ocean.
PMFH is concerned about the following:
Length of lease term - it has gone from 10 to 20 years
Size of lease - one person, business, corporation can hold a total of 1,000 acres
Site suitability - finding the least impactful place in the water for aquaculture leases
Transferability - currently there is no requirement for a public hearing
As our poll on the Protect Maine's Fishing Heritage facebook page demonstrates, 96% of those who voted believe a public hearing is necessary before a lease can be transferred.
Sincerely,
Crystal Canney
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage