Dear All,
Happy New Year!
We begin this year with more work ahead of us but with a growing coalition!
Our members have been active in stating their opinions in newspapers around Maine.
IN THE NEWS
Click here to read Bill Oliver and Kelsey Fenwick's letters to the editor.
The Fishermen's Voice is running one of our shorter videos, click here.
Bailey Bowden from Penobscot as well as Adam Ulrickson from Freeport were printed as well.
Currently, we have pending legislation in the hands of the legislative council. LR 2718 addresses the large size of aquaculture leases, up to 1000 acres, along with the expanded 20-year lease length, as well as how leases are sited and a change to transferring a lease. Right now, a mandatory public hearing is not required to transfer a lease. Failure to address these issues will create a loss of public access to the ocean for all of us. While the bill has been tabled we are working to get it to a fair hearing before the Maine legislature.
We have a growing number of signatures on a petition asking lawmakers to move this bill forward. If you have not signed on yet and would like to, please email me at Protectmaine@gmail.com
More Work To Be Done
The Department of Marine Resources has granted the go-ahead for a large aquaculture lease in Maquoit Bay which will be appealed in court. Click to read news coverage here.
Despite the approval of the lease, both Concerned Citizens of Maquoit Bay and lobstermen filed rebuttals. Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage believes that many of the lobstermen who testified about the impact of this lease are being ignored.
Here is a quote from one of the lobstermen who obtained intervenor status: Tom Santaguida wrote, “DMR points out the specific testimony of Mr. Walker stating that Maquoit Bay is not a “hotbed” of lobstering activity, yet does not point out that Mr. Walker also stated that he has no actual first-hand knowledge of this. DMR also did not note the testimony of one of its own Zone Council members, Donald Ulrickson. Mr. Ulrickson has lobstered inside the lease site for more than 60 years and testified that at times it’s a very good spot. DMR’s referencing passersby and using their testimony to support this decision and not referencing Mr. Ulrickson’s testimony based on 60 plus years of direct lobstering in this area is tantamount to calling Mr. Ulrickson a liar, along with all of the other fishermen who testified. DMR’s position on this point is transparent in its clear effort to do whatever was necessary and boost up the most useful testimony to be favorable to granting this lease.”
The full press release can be found here.
Thanks for being part of this effort.
Best,
Crystal Canney
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage