In the News

Bad News For Stripers

Capt. John McMurray weighs in with a report from the winter ASMFC meeting over at Reel-Time.com.

From the Article "Yesterday, the ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board passed a motion by a narrow 8 to 7 margin to create an addendum to increase commercial harvest. The swing state was Maryland, which voted against the commercial rollover at the last meeting but for the commercial increase at this one (explain that one to me). The motion came from Augustine of New York and was seconded by Johnston from North Carolina"







Testimony in support of L.D. 1811


An Act to Create a Recreational Saltwater License in Maine

In Maine we have all enjoyed the privilege of fishing in our tidal waters at no cost for generations, and here we are today being asked to pay for that privilege. This is a hard reality to face. But rather than get swept up in an emotional response, we should ask ourselves, what are our choices? The recently passed Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that there be a registry of all recreational anglers by 2009 and will start charging for it by 2011. So either we come together as a state and implement our own program or have a one-size-fits-all federal program imposed upon us. If we come up with our own program, we can invest our money back into the conservation and enhancement of the marine resource. If we fail to act, Maine anglers' fees will be deposited in the federal treasury, never to be seen again here in Maine. So after careful consideration, the Coastal Conservation Association of Maine supports L.D. 1811.

We do look forward to joining this committee in work session, as some details of this bill still need to be ironed out. One of the most significant is that there is no implementation date. We urge the committee to include an implementation date of January 1st, 2009. This would give the Department of Marine Resources time to make certain the new license doesn't put undue hardship on any one group. For example, the fees on charter boat and head boat captains seem unreasonably high, when the price of a permit in Florida is nearly the same amount for a season that is almost three times as long. But these are all details that can be addressed in work session.

It will be a tragedy if this legislature fails to act and the federal government imposes a system that siphons away money when there is so much that can be done to enhance the fishing and fish habitat here in Maine. Think of how we could invest these resources- for instance, on improving Maine's abysmal coastal access. We need boat launches accessible at all tides, hand-carry launches for kayaks and canoes, and shore access for anglers. Also, in the early '80s, the Department of Marine Resources had the forethought and wherewithal to invest in a striped bass stocking program in the Kennebec, and now the Kennebec is home to one of the few restored runs of spawning striped bass on the East Coast. What other runs could we restore? What about an aggressive shad restoration program on the Penobscot, where millions of dollars are already being invested for fish passage? What about added law enforcement for the most popular and sensitive of our marine resources? One thing is for sure: if this legislature fails to act, and does nothing before the federal government imposes its own system, nothing will be invested back into our fishery. Giving the Commissioner authority to use the Marine Recreational Fishing Conservation and Management Fund for clearly defined purposes, with the advice of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Council, gives anglers strong assurances that our fees will go back into improving the resource.

I hope this committee will act now and give the Department of Marine Resources authority to create a license and will give DMR enough time before the 2009 deadline to devise a system that is efficient, is easy to use, and keeps our funding dedicated to conservation and restoration here in Maine. This is an issue that stirs up deep emotions, but I hope this state can come together in the interests of all sportsmen and of the marine resource we all love.











News

Winslow Dam breach OK'd
3/18/08 - FPL Energy appears to have cleared the final hurdle to its plan to breach Fort Halifax Dam this summer.


2008 Tournaments in the works
Striper Season is still a few months away, but we're already working on a couple of great catch and release striper tournaments for 2008. You can check out our Tournament Page for more information.

10/22/07Sedgwick fisherman faces $510,000 fine
The captain of the Western Sea fishing boat and the vessel's owner face $510,000 in fines from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for allegedly failing to comply with federal reporting laws on herring landings.
NOAA concluded that the vessel's captain, Daniel Fill, 43, of Sedgwick, failed to report about 15 million pounds of herring harvested in the Gulf of Maine between June 1 and late August, resulting in 51 violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act.
Read the full article on the Bangor Daily News website

8/8/07Fort Halifax Dam one step closer to removal
Colin Hickey discusses the latest Supreme Judicial Court decision regarding the dam on the Sebasticook River in Winslow. You can read the full article online on the Morning Sentinel web site

7/11/07Sappi Agrees to removal of Cumberland Mills Dam
An article by John Richardson discusses the agreement in more detail on the Morning Sentinel web site

4/23/07 CCA Maine Testifies in favor of L.D. 1811.
CCA Maine Executive Director Ian Burnes testified at a public hearing in favor of L.D. 1811 - An Act to Create A Saltwater Recreational fishing license.

You can read the full text of his testimony here: CCA Maine Testimony.