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Educational Programs a Big Part of Lobster Institute's Summer Activities
The
Lobster Institute provided a number of educational programs throughout this past
summer. Most notably, the Institute
hosted its second Lobster College – a learning vacation where folks spend a
long weekend on the coast of Maine and are immersed in learning everything there
is to know about the lobster industry. Lobster
College students came from as far away as California and Arizona to learn about
lobster biology, cuisine, history, and other related topics.
Also part of the curriculum were field trips to a working lobster wharf
and a lobster boat excursion. The
event was well received by all. As one participant wrote, “The words great and
excellent are much overused in our society, but these words must be used
to describe this program.”
Other
educational activities included presentations for a conference of economics
educators; a lecture as part of Downeast Senior College; talks at a variety of
community lecture series; participation in the LFA 34 lobster workshop in Nova
Scotia; and the Institute’s own annual Friends of the Lobster Institute
luncheon.
Dr. Bob Bayer displays a blue lobster
at the annual Friends of the Lobster Institute luncheon held in August at Tidal
Falls. The lobster, “Old Blue”, was donated to the Institute by Jim
Lobster Institute Helps Bring Wood Composite Trap Runners to Market
With
help from a Maine Technology Institute Seed Grant in the Fall of 2001, the
Lobster Institute and the University of Maine’s Advanced Engineered Wood
Composite Center developed a prototype lobster trap runner made of wood
composite materials. The composite
is a formula of wood, sawdust, and plastic polymer.
The material is not susceptible to rot or invasion by ship worms.
Bob
Brown of Sealure North American, LLC distributed the prototype trap runners to
lobstermen and also installed and tested the runners on his own traps.
After some modifications, the concept was picked up by CorrectDeck of
Biddeford, Maine who now produce the runners for the commercial market.
Quota Management System Will Be Destructive to
Lobster Fishery
Editorial
comment by
L.
Wayne Spinney, Lobster Fisherman
L.F.A.34,
South West Nova Scotia, Canada.
At a
recent workshop on Oct.1st and 2nd held in Yarmouth, Nova
Scotia, the inshore lobster harvesters and their representatives notified Mr.
Neil Bellefontaine, Regional Director General of the Canadian Department of
Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), that they are again unanimous in opposing the use of
‘quota’ and or ‘transferable tags’ as tools for conservation or
management in the lobster industry. To implement ‘quota’ as a management
tool while witnessing catastrophes for years in other fisheries governed with
this mechanism is inexplicable.
Thousands of maritime
families can testify to the devastation and horror resulting from poor fisheries
management since the implementation of the quota system. A system made to look
very enticing by large initial individual quota allocations. Each year
thereafter the inshore fleet faced quota allocation cuts that forced many fish
harvesters out of the industry. Larger companies purchased and stockpiled quota
or ‘paper fish’. This caused quota prices to increase to the level that
owner/operators could not afford enough quota to make their enterprise viable.
‘Paper fish’ exchanged or auctioned off became only affordable to corporate
fleet owners.
In hindsight, the set up for the destruction of a fleet and the demise of
a fish species is obvious as a result of a ‘quota’ management system. The
same strategy has been used species by species here in Canada. The herring, cod,
haddock, pollock, flounder and the scallop fishery all followed similar patterns
of ruin. Are we to allow our
lobster industry to be next?
The traditional
inshore fishery is an economic system where most vessels support three or more
families. Documented proof shows
that profits stay in the communities and region.
Indirect jobs are created both locally and in other provinces through
supplies and services required to maintain the fleet and the families employed
within the industry. Most corporations export profits from the region and from
Canada.
In addition, the current pay for lobster crewmembers
average between 12% to 15% of gross catch, even as the industry is hit with
increasing costs and user fees. This
differs from a corporate owned vessel where a crew’s pay may be only 1% to 3%
of gross catch.
The corporate goal is
vertical integration of the fisheries. This means huge companies own the quota,
vessel, captain, crew, processing plant, etc. The argument that 50 corporate
lobster vessels in L.F.A. 34 would be more economically efficient than the
inshore fleet of nearly 970 vessels is ludicrous.
This corporate fleet will be smaller in numbers only. They will be
fishing year round, using any amount of gear as determined by the owner. This
non-conservation quota system will increase effort as witnessed in other
fisheries.
The present management practice has proven to work for sustainable
conservation in the inshore lobster fishery for decades.
A seasonal lobster fishery allows the lobsters to molt, to mate, to
spawn, etc. Other conservation measures in place include:
limited number of traps per license, restricted trap size, minimum
carapace size, minimum size escape hatches, v-notching of berried lobsters, and
the presence of conservation officers, etc.
These conservation tools exceed lobster conservation requirements if
proper enforcement is in place. We have been and continue to be true stewards of
a renewable resource ensuring a fishery for future generations of families
living in coastal communities. z
Readers may contact the Lobster Institute for more
detailed information on any of the projects reported.
v
Audio Recordings of Lobsters – Dr. Bob
Bayer of the Lobster Institute, and Rob Rosenthal of Shunpike Audio in South
Portland Maine have been attempting to record any sounds emitted by lobsters
held in tanks by using a hydrophone. To-date, no sounds have been heard.
The spiney lobster,
which does not have the large claws of the American lobster, does emit a
raspy sound that is thought to be a defense mechanism.
v Lobster Cam Goes Dark Again – The Lobster Institute’s Lobster Cam was up and running again this summer for just two days before once again going dark. Lobster Cam is an underwater camera mounted inside a lobster trap that provides real-time video viewing via the Internet. Earlier in the year the camera’s mounting brackets rusted out and the camera was dark for several months while a student researcher worked on developing a new system to secure the camera to the trap. When that work was completed, the trap and camera were re-submerged in Rockland Harbor, Maine. Within two short days the video again went dark and it was discovered the camera needed to be replaced. The Lobster Institute and the Internet provider for Lobster Cam, MidCoast Internet Solutions, are searching for a replacement camera. Sealure North American, LLC is a sponsor of Lobster Cam, which can be found via the Lobster Institute’s website at www.lobsterinstitute.org. Archived shots from Lobster Cam are also available for viewing on the site.
Dr.
John Riley, a Lobster Institute cooperating research professor, works on
repairing the fittings for Lobster Cam prior to its placement in
Rockland
Harbor, Maine.
v
Refractometry
Used to Analyze Blood Protein in Lobsters –University of Maine researchers Dr. Gulni Ozbay and Dr. John Riley
recently published the results of their studies on using refractometric methods
in determining whole blood protein concentrations in lobster (“An analysis of
refractometry as a method of determining blood total protein concentration in
the American lobster Homarus americanus” Aquaculture Research, 2002, 33,
557-562). They concluded that,
“Refractometry as a method is reliable to determine blood total protein
concentrations in the American lobster. Consequently,
a refractometric method can be used directly by commercial distributors to
assess responses to holding facility conditions and to feeding regimes.”
They went on to say, “Whole blood protein concentrations may provide
more information than serum protein concentrations.”
For more information, please consult Aquaculture Research or
contact the Lobster Institute.
v
2001-2002
Report on Lobster Pound Shrinkage – The Lobster Institute has compiled the results for the Maine Lobster
Pound Association’s 2001-02 Pound Survey.
With 14 pounds reporting, the average shrink was 11.9% -- with a range
from .75% to 25%.
v Bayer Named to Northeast Consortium Advisory Committee – Dr. Robert Bayer, Executive Director of the Lobster Institute, was recently named to the Northeast Consortium Advisory Committee. Established in 1999, the Northeast Consortium encourages and funds partnerships among commercial fishermen, researchers, and other stakeholders for cooperative research and development of selective fishing gear technology. Their focus area is the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Commercial fishermen are encouraged to participate in research activities and Consortium funding may be available to equip their fishing vessels for research purposes. The Consortium is an integrated effort between four institutions: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. For information about the Northeast Consortium check their Web site at www.northeastconsortium.org.
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Maine Fishermen's Forum Provides Scholarships
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum Board of Directors offers scholarships to benefit immediate family members (son/daughter/grandchild) of anyone actively involved in Maine’s seafood industry. Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded by a random drawing at the 2003 Maine Fishermen’s Forum (2/27-3/2). Undergraduates at a two or four year college who are in the second year of their program are eligible. Applications will be accepted through February 25 and can be obtained by calling 207-442-7700, or by downloading from the Forum Web site at www.maineseafood.org. z
2002 Roll Call of Donors to be Published in Lobster Bulletin
The Lobster Institute will publish its 2002 “Roll Call of Donors” in the Winter 2003 Lobster Bulletin. Those who contributed to the Institute during calendar year 2002 will be listed. If any contributor does not want their name published they may contact Cathy Billings at the Institute (207-581-2751) by January 15, 2002. z
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