Category: Lobster

Five years in, results show Maine lobster marketing efforts succeeding, as program nears vote for continued funding

A progress report from the executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative by Matt Jacobson PORTLAND, ME – As many of you know, in 2012, the Maine legislature took action creating the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. In the authorizing statue, the legislature gave the following direction, “the collaborative is created to promote and market Maine …

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Ask the Lobster Doc: Ocean warming in a sea of change

Weather and climate.  Data and models.  Theory, fact, hypothesis, consensus? It’s easy to feel uneasy. It’s easy to get confused. What is ocean warming, where does it fit into the realm of climate science, and what’s the lobster industry to do? Perhaps the best way to start making sense of rapid climate change is to …

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ASMFC Lobster Board approves increased harvester reporting

ARLINGTON, VA – At its Feb. 6-8 Winter Meeting, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Management Board approved major changes to the types and kinds of harvest reporting required under the combined Addendum XXVI to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan and Addendum III to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan. The …

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Heather Thompson: “I love what I do”

By Brian Robbins HARRINGTON, ME – It was something to watch: a living, breathing version of a well-oiled machine. I was doing my best to stay out of the way with my camera as the 36’ Gold Digger made its way through a string of lobster gear.  The skipper and the one-person crew were making …

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Much to be learned from info exchanged at recent international lobster conference

  PORTLAND, ME – The so called “theme” of the 11th International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management (ICWL) held here this past June might best be described as “An Industry at a Crossroads,” said co-chair Richard Wahle, marine biologist at the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences’ Darling Marine Center. “So …

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ASMFC’s Lobster Board votes down Addendum XXV

ALEXANDRIA, VA – At its Aug. 2-4 summer meeting, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) American Lobster Management Board voted down Addendum XXV to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan. In a surprise upset, the board chose not to go forward on the increase in egg production and other management strategies it had considered …

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Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative gears up as peak season underway

PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is gearing up for another season promoting Maine lobster and supporting the industry that is so crucial to many residents around the state. The MLMC focuses the majority of its efforts during the summer and fall months when the catch is at its highest, strategizing around …

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While lobster landings soar, settlement dips to all-time lows; researchers ask why, what impact?

  The following is this year’s “Update 2016 to the American Lobster Settlement Index,” prepared and presented here by  Rick Wahle and his colleagues at the University of Maine’s Darling Center.  Our thanks to Dr. Wahle and his team for sharing this important information once again this year with our readers.  –Editor WALPOLE, ME – …

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Industry News – June 2017

Alden receives prestigious Hero of the Seas award WASHINGTON, DC – Robin Alden, executive director of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (formerly Penobscot East Resource Center) in Stonington, ME was the recent recipient of a Hero of the Seas award from the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards. The awards gala took place on the evening of …

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Maine’s 2016 commercial marine resources top $700 million for the first time; lobster landings exceed 130 million pounds

AUGUSTA, ME – Maine’s commercially harvested marine resources topped $700 million in overall value in 2016, according to preliminary data from the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources (DMR). The total reflects yet another all-time high and an increase of nearly $100 million in value over 2015. “Mainers should take great pride in the success of …

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