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Our association has started this electronic newsletter to help develop communication between the ports. At our last formal meeting, we voted to work pro-actively with the new Ocean Protection Council (OPC) which was formed by the State's legislature. The OPC is directing funding of ocean protection with a focus on ecosystem based management.
The best way to work with OPC is to find support for funding fisheries projects that will help build upon our identity as fishermen who have stayed ahead of the curve with our pro-active approach to limited entry and capacity reduction planning.
As a fisherman who has been through a marine reserve design process at my fishing grounds, I have seen all the issues we have to face with as we finish our fishing careers under the legislated mandates for Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and Marine Life Management Act (MLMA).
Our primary tool for maintaining the viability of our fishery and our ports as fishing communities will be our ability to collect and manage information about our fishery. We are at the crossroads in my opinion. We now have a window of opportunity to collect information to give us choices on the future direction of our fishery's management.
Most of us take for granted the sustainability of our fishery. Fishery protection measures were enacted since the late 1800’s. We were very fortunate that around 1910, the managers decided to end open access and imposed a seasonal closure while females carried their eggs. Shortly after that size limits were introduced.
More recently, we added limited entry and transferable permits. Our fishing organization has a good environmental record with fishermen working to protect surf grass habitat.
This seasonal closure and size limit to insure a brood stock have kept our fishery healthy. But in the new management arena, we will be challenged to verify that our fishery is sustainable and that we are monitoring our fishery to ensure responsible harvesting of the resource.
The basis of management is acquiring reliable information on the catch, fishing effort and the size structure of the lobster population. The harvest controls we have in place now require monitoring standards which are explained as standards for Essential Fishery Information (EFI) under MLMA.
I would like to develop this newsletter as a forum for our pro-active approach in developing our ability to work cohesively as a group and verify our fishery's sustainability.
Chris Miller
