More than 35 sea urchin harvesters, most from Washington County, crowded the Orland Town Hall for a Feb. 13 meeting of the Sea Urchin Zone Council (SUZC) to protect their interests, amid rumors about a possible closure of the fishery in the 2003-2004 season in both Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Zone run runs from western Penobscot Bay to New Hampshire and Zone 2 extends from mid-Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border.
Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner George Lapointe explained why he had not called for an emergency closure of the waters west of Penobscot Bay this winter after receiving a number of calls in late fall about the depleted resource in that zone.
The issues this winter, Lapointe said, were “more price than resource sensitive.” In addition he felt that not much had changed since the April 2002 Urchin Summit.
Lapointe added that strains on the resource will lead him to recommend reductions in effort at the Fishermen’s Forum in March. He said is waiting for more data and for the results of computer modeling before making a specific recommendation.
He pointed out that two years ago, when he asked the SUZC to cut back by 50 percent, the council did a lot of hard work to come up with a season for the fishery. “I said we’d hold it for two years and I’ve kept my word,” the commissioner said.
When a council member asked Lapointe for DMR’s grand plan, Lapointe replied, “If there was an easy answer, we’d have all found it.” DMR, he said, “wants to hear your ideas; co-management means working hard on difficult issues.”
According to DMR scientist Margaret Hunter, landings for the first 4 months of the 2002-2003 season are off an estimated 20 percent from last year’s season. Preliminary figures for 2001-2002 put urchin landings at 7.3 million pounds for a value of $9.7 million.
Urchin landings have fallen every year since they peaked in the 1992-1993 season at 39.3 million pounds, with a value of $35.5 million. The fishery became second only to lobsters in value and landings for Maine harvesters.
Harvester numbers have also fallen sharply. In 1995, the first year for licenses, there were 1,191 divers and 641 draggers for a total of 1,840 license holders.
By 2002 the numbers had decreased to 589 divers and 295 draggers, a total of 887.
A “limited entry ratio” law, in force since 1998, keeps down the number of harvesters by allowing only one new license (chosen by lottery) for every five licenses retired.
Attrition in the number of harvesters, Hunter said, accounted for a 15 percent reduction in effort.
In response to several requests for closure of Zone 1, DMR sent questionnaires in November to Zone 1 (25 percent replied) and in January to Zone 2 harvesters (28 percent replied).
Responses offered wide-ranging suggestions for management. Copies of the questionnaires are available from Hunter (see below).
Hunter reported that DMR is recommending changing the entry ratio from 5:1 to 10:1. The public hearing for the change is March 3 and the time for public comment is March 28. Both hearings are set for 7 p.m. at the Rockland Ferry Terminal.
If the ratio remains at 5:1, 18 new harvesters can be chosen by lottery. A change to 10:1 permits nine new harvesters. The ratios reflect the retirement of 90 licenses in the past year.
Discussion of culling on the bottom brought loud protests from draggers, who said that it would be impossible with their present gear. Currently the law states that culling must be done immediately on board the vessel. DMR has sent a bill to the legislature to allow culling to be regulated by DMR. Lapointe and Hunter said the bill would provide an additional tool to manage the resource.
Hunter pointed out that if the two zones were managed separately, culling on the bottom might be something Zone 1 divers would prefer over a cut in days.
Many on the council and most of the audience agreed it was time Zone 1 and Zone 2 were managed separately. Some called for dividing Zone 2 in half.
In response the SUZC authorized two Urchin Summits. The Zone 1 Sea Urchin Summit is planned for March 29 at the Department of Marine Resources’ Boothbay Harbor lab. Zone 2’s Summit is set for April 5 in Ellsworth. For more information, contact Bill Sutter, SUZC Chair, at 882-7230.
Sea Urchin meetings at the Fishermen’s Forum in Rockland are scheduled for Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m.
The SUZC meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Orland Town Hall at 5:30. Contact Margaret Hunter at 633-9541 or Margaret.Hunter@maine.gov.