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ROCKPORT, ME \u2013 Anyone who\u2019s a fan of the Discovery Channel\u2019s \u201cDeadliest Catch\u201d reality series might want to make an extra effort to arrive early for this year\u2019s Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum, which begins on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Samoset Resort here.<\/p>\n
Keith Colburn, captain of the F\/V Wizard, a 155′ Bering Sea crabber that\u2019s featured in the series, will be headlining a three-and-a-half hour session titled \u201cFish Talk:\u00a0 West Coast Style,\u201d which will focus on the differences between East and West Coast fisheries.<\/p>\n
The session starts at 1pm on Thursday and, according to forum board member Gerry Cushman, is purposely designed to be casual \u2013 an easy Q&A style where attendees can ask Colburn anything they want.<\/p>\n
Colburn knows what he\u2019s getting into.\u00a0 Part way into a bike trip through Maine last summer, he cycled into Port Clyde, which is Cushman\u2019s home port.\u00a0 There, he met Gerry, slept in Gerry\u2019s fish shack after refusing an invitation to stay at his house, met one of his vacation goals by going out lobstering with Gerry\u2019s brother Randy Cushman, and then took part in a sizable lobster feed with, well, pretty much the whole Port Clyde community.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople just kept asking him questions,\u201d said Cushman.<\/p>\n
This bottomless well of curiosity about Alaska fishing, the Wizard, the Bering Sea, and Colburn himself is what led Cushman to think that a visit to the Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum just might be in order.<\/p>\n
And, when Cushman called Colburn to see if he\u2019d be willing to attend the Maine forum, the Bering Sea crabber readily accepted.\u00a0 Not only did he agree to take the helm of Thursday afternoon\u2019s \u201cFish Talk:\u00a0 West Coast Style\u201d session, he decided he\u2019d spend the whole weekend at the forum.<\/p>\n
So, don\u2019t be surprised if the Deadliest Catch captain wanders into the Maine Lobstermen\u2019s Association\u2019s annual meeting on Friday morning, Feb. 28, or possibly pokes his head into the Saturday, March 1 \u201cBait Update\u201d discussion.<\/p>\n
According to Cushman, Colburn is friendly, genuinely interested in New England fisheries, and looking forward to his visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe loves kids,\u201d said Cushman.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the kind of guy who\u2019d sign autographs for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Food, fun, gear, and beer<\/b><\/p>\n
Also at this year\u2019s forum, people will have numerous opportunities to learn more about the Affordable Care Act, the Health Insurance Marketplace, and even sign up for coverage.<\/p>\n
The University of Southern Maine\u2019s School of Nursing will be hosting another health clinic
\nwhere volunteer nurses will be conducting free\u00a0blood pressure checks and glucose and cholesterol screening, as well as administering a limited\u00a0number of tetanus shots.<\/p>\n
The Maine Elver Fishermen\u2019s Association will be holding its annual meeting.\u00a0 The Maine Lobster Boat Racing Association will be hosting its preseason 2014 meeting.\u00a0 The Maine Coast Community Sector will be holding a meeting.\u00a0 And the newly reformed Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative will update industry members on this latest lobster promotion effort that is financed by lobster license surcharges.<\/p>\n
The seminar range this year is especially broad, covering everything from scallop farming to seaweed aquaculture to the green crab invasion that\u2019s now causing problems along large stretches of coastal Maine.<\/p>\n
Through it all, the 118-booth trade show will be open for perusing, showcasing engines, traps, safety gear, and more.\u00a0 And for those who need a break, the Decompression Chamber is the perfect venue to kick back, listen to some music, watch Maine videos, and gather with old friends and have a beer.<\/p>\n
Thursday night\u2019s opening seafood reception and Friday night\u2019s fresh fish dinner are regular forum features and \u201cdon\u2019t miss\u201d events, as is Friday night\u2019s auction to benefit the Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum Scholarship Fund.<\/p>\n
Last year, the forum raised $21,000 through the auction, which was supplemented by a few cash contributions.\u00a0 In turn, the board handed out 21 individual $1,000 scholarships during Saturday\u2019s closing banquet to college students who come from Maine fishing families.<\/p>\n
Since 1998, the forum has given out over $254,500 in scholarships and hopes to add significantly to that total when auctioneer Dennis Damon picks up his gavel at this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n
For more information, visit the forum website at <www.mainefishermensforum.org<\/a>> call forum coordinator Chilloa Young at (207) 442-7700.\u00a0 \/cfn\/<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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