{"id":11679,"date":"2018-04-02T11:51:03","date_gmt":"2018-04-02T15:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/?p=11679"},"modified":"2018-11-29T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T16:54:12","slug":"editorial-mla-elects-new-president-now-maine-fishermens-forum-must-also","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/editorial-mla-elects-new-president-now-maine-fishermens-forum-must-also\/","title":{"rendered":"Editorial – MLA elects new president; now Maine Fishermen’s Forum must also"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s a changing of the guard at the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) that not only impacts the association’s members, lobster fishermen and others all along the coast, but also the venerable Maine Fishermen’s Forum.<\/span><\/h3>\n

By now you have probably heard that Cutler lobsterman Kristan Porter is taking over the reins of the MLA from long-time president David Cousens.\"\"<\/span><\/h3>\n

Cousens stepped down after serving for 27 years as president of the MLA \u2013 ending a long commitment of enormous time and energy, as required of the job.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Now Porter — a long-time MLA board member and “president in training” for the last few years — takes over the top position at the largest association serving the state’s biggest and most productive fishery.<\/span><\/h3>\n

He does so during somewhat unsettling times.\u00a0 Maine lobster landings declined last year \u2013 the first significant drop in many years.\u00a0 While it is too early to call this a trend, fishermen are edgy \u2013 trying to understand what changed, why, and what this may mean for catches down the road.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Additionally, there is the right whale issue.\u00a0 Fixed gear fishermen, rightly or wrongly, are almost certainly going to be forced to make further changes in how they fish — to reduce the likelihood of right whale entangements in gear.\u00a0 No one who is fishing likes the prospects of these changes.\u00a0 No one realistically sees any way out of it.<\/span><\/h3>\n

But by most accounts, Porter is the right person for the job at hand.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the MLA’s gain could be considered the Maine Fishermen’s Forum’s loss.<\/span><\/h3>\n

To make time for his new commitment, Porter recently stepped down as president of the forum board of directors, a position he has held for the past 10 years.<\/span><\/h3>\n

His vision and hard work in that arena will be missed as the forum prepares to elect a new president this summer.<\/span><\/h3>\n

The challenge to that board is to elect someone with the skills needed to help guide the forum’s unique mission:<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u2022 \u00a0Part public service — a place for fishermen and regulators to meet, grow to know and respect one another, and work cooperatively on the issues affecting commercial fisheries and aquaculture in the region; and<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Part commercial enterprise \u2013 including the largest commercial fishing trade show in New England which helps underwrite the cost of keeping forum programs free to attendees.<\/span><\/h3>\n

It ain’t an easy job.\u00a0 And just as the MLA has tapped the best talent to lead its mission going forward, the Maine Fishermen’s Forum must soon do the same.\u00a0 \/cfn\/<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Back to Homepage<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s a changing of the guard at the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) that not only impacts the association’s members, lobster fishermen and others all along the coast, but also the venerable Maine Fishermen’s Forum. By now you have probably heard that Cutler lobsterman Kristan Porter is taking over the reins of the MLA from long-time … <\/p>\n

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