Page 8. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2008
Commercial Fishing News
FISHERY IS AFLOAT - MARKET IS SINKING!
By Sea Biscuit happening anyway. When a Canadian pro- gross; on all that overhead, wouldn’t you boat builders. Always remember that street
Hey everyone, are we having fun yet? cessor or a lobster dealer tells you that he or rather catch and sell, say—800 lbs. for $5.00 goes two ways. Although I know that this
On October 26, I attended the Lobster Advi- she will only pay X number of dollars per a lb.? I would – a lot less wear and tear. has been a way of life: when lobstering ended
sory Council meeting and well I must say; I pound - that “sounds” like price fixing. Yes, To the credit of those who are making for the winter, there was scalloping, possibly
was not impressed. I said it; what are you going to do about it, sue ends meet, I applaud them. They deserve it. boat construction or work on traps or paint-
The first topic of discussion was about me? God, I love freedom of speech! I hold nothing against someone with ing buoys. We kept the cycle going to main-
how to deal with the poor prices and its Here’s how I suggest it should work. If good work ethic and a head on their shoul- tain our own living and support our families.
impact on the fishermen. There is help avail- you walk into a store to buy a popular item, ders. But unfortunately, not all are blessed. OK, now for the vinegar in the water. If
able for those if needed, but be ready for such as a new radar; that store has a specific Over the last decade, money was made much lobsters, being a public resource, “can be
jumping through hoops. The best advice price on that item, right? Well say you hear too easy to borrow. I blame many financial allowed to be recreation, then I guess I can go
given was “talk to your bank before you go that some other store has this unit for $200.00 institutions for this. Not all have the same to a public park, cut down a public tree and
30 days behind. If you go 30 days behind, it more - why? Well because each store has a work ethic or ability to manage money prop- use it for firewood because I do not want to
gets harder to receive any assistance. That different operating cost and each must be erly. I do believe that people will come and pay $250 for a cord of wood this winter. I feel
should help some of you, but what about the able to cover that in order to stay in business. go from the fishery; just like the highs and that if public resource counts in one area, it
others? Well good luck, I guess. Here is Lobster fishing is no different. Each fisher- lows of lobster. One thing we can’t do is counts in all areas of this fine state of Maine,
another catch; the money is not available for man has different expenses and if they can’t punish the good guys because of someone right? May sound extreme, but I feel it is a
others such as lobster dealers, bait dealers, meet them, well “bye-bye.” So the bottom else’s mismanagement in business. good example of what I’m trying to say.
boat and trap builders, this is just geared for line is; some guys need to catch and sell at a OK, enough of the lesson on business, Think about it very carefully, please.
fishermen. So much for community support. higher price to make ends meet. Let’s com- I could fill up two more pages now for what’s You take a family of 5 with 25 traps
But people of Maine, have no fear, the pare a general store on an island with a big made me mad as hell. fishing next to my 30 trap string, catching an
governor is forming another, yes another box store on the mainland. The prices are a The Lobster Advisory Council has de- average of 2-3 lbs. per trap, what do you think
task force of “experts” to help. Did we not do little different and understandably so. cided to push for a tiered license system. that family will do with their 50-75 lbs.?
this with rope and whales and look where that If someone owes or is paying on a This isn’t sounding good for those of us I can tell you, as bad as the economy is;
got us – nowhere, just like everything else for $250,000 loan and also has insurance on his fishing 400 – 500 traps full time. The idea of they sell them to their friends and think it’s
the last eight years. boat for this amount, he will have more over- someone buying 800 tags does not make funny. So, not only are they not buying
On top of this, lobstermen—don’t talk head than someone with no loan at all. That them a full time fisherman. They might have lobsters from retailers, they are selling lob-
higher prices, “no-no,” you will be accused loan and insurance come at a daily price. 400 of those tags sitting in their desk drawer. sters illegally; which is what I was trying to
of price fixing. Well, isn’t that what’s been Whether he fishes or not, that loan is money Here’s another point of view that I go by “say say before I was rudely cut off by the DMR
spent every day of the year. That is business. what you mean and mean what you say.” I Commissioner. Well George LaPointe, I
Now, add bait, fuel and crew. Each day he was always told that it’s best to lead by don’t see the humor. There are 10,000 recre-
hauls, there is more overhead added to this example. So everyone duck, for those key ational traps in Maine waters that do not
equation. After you’re through hauling for people of the MLA who keep saying that we belong there. If every fisherman who agrees
the day, deduct all the overhead, then set must reduce trap limits, have any of you cut with this were to cut down public trees for
money aside for maintenance (more over- back your traps to 400 like you keep preach- each lobster taken by a recreational trap this
head) to replace lost gear for next year (more ing? I highly doubt it. So don’t expect myself, year, many public parks would not have
overhead), house payment (more overhead), who fishes 400 traps, full time to settle for a many trees left.
truck, kids, food, etc. (more overhead). As reduction in gear. I’m making a living and my I would like to say that things are looking
you can see, $2.00 a lb. Sucks. bills are paid. While I’m at it, I guess I should up but that would be a fantasy. The way
Now I know, some of you are saying, add this just for grins; let’s ask the trap and things are going, some people will have this
well they probably catch 1500 lbs. - Yeah, boat builders (full time), how they feel about
Continued on Page 10.
right, but at $2.00 a lb. That’s only $3,000 guys (fishermen) being part time trap and
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