maine lobster license waiting list
New zone entrants on the waiting list for 10 or more years. Sign up and get our top stories delivered daily to your inbox at 6 a.m. Paul LePage signed the bill into law this spring.The bill also raises the age for young lobstermen to automatically get a license when they finish an apprenticeship. If you owe reports your license will not be available to renew. The Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources says keeping an estimated 300 people on the waiting list is bad for the industry, and wants to make the process move faster. The poll ended up 53-47 percent in favor of McCreights bill, with 949 total votes cast before Tuell closed the poll. I was so excited about the future, Masterson recalled. Hes cautious about speeding up the licensing process because he says the fishery is already too crowded. But she acknowledged that there is opposition to the idea, and shes expecting a lively hearing. News. In most zones, that means long waits before the apprentice can start hauling his or her own traps. Students in Maine can circumvent long wait-lists for commercial lobster licenses by getting started as young as 8 years old. Stewart is one of Maine's 5,900 licensed lobster harvesters, who together haul in roughly 80% of U.S. landings of American lobster, worth more than $300 million. Sign in or Subscribe Here in the Maine Department of Marine Resources' (DMR) Lobster Management Zone B, though, a strict limited entry system has resulted in a very long waiting list for new commercial lobster licenses. As chairman of the local lobster zone council, Horner has voted to ease local entry requirements facing wait-listers, butdoes not want to speed it up too much. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. Another member of the marine resources committee, Democratic Rep. Genevieve McDonald, said concern over possible changes in lobster fishing rules make it difficult to let new fishermen onto the water. Its frustrating for all the people on the lists, Beede said. Beede, 50, says the states 15-year-old licensing system needs an overhaul to give newcomers like him a fair shot at getting a license to fish their own traps in Maines lobsterrich waters. Still others, like Beede, say licenses should be transferable among members of the same family. //]]> He doesnt want to risk overfishing a stock that Maine lobstermen have worked hard to protect. May 28, 2012 at 5:43 PM PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- Scott Beede is one of 302 people on the waiting list for a Maine lobster license. (Copyright (c) 2022 The Associated Press. He had once held a lobsterlicense, butgave it up when he went to school. McDonald, a lobsterwoman from Stonington, said a particular problem is that the industry is faced with potential management changes to reduce interactions with the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The 2017 total of slightly less than 111 million pounds was the lowest since 2011, but it was still more than twice the 2003 haul. And my father should be able to retire.. (Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald). That would instantly add more than 50 new fishermen to the industry during an era of high catches and strong prices, but also concern about warming oceans and new fishing restrictions designed to protect whales. The state is expected to release data about 2018 later this winter. More than 200 people are waiting in the wings for a lobstering license, which has long been a ticket to the middle class for working coastal Mainers. Sign up and get our top stories delivered daily to your inbox at 6 a.m. Dreaming of a lobster license, but trapped on a waitlist. The last open lobster zone closed in 2016. Little did I know.. Were all supposed to have a chance at it, but plain and simple, not everybody can be a lobsterman. Not everybody can do what they want to do.. If you are interested, please contact Business Editor Patrick Gabrion at 504-8243 or email [emailprotected] Thank you. It implies that wait-listed apprentices are out-of-town opportunists who decided to lobster onsome kind of whimafter moving up from Massachusetts or reading about the fisherys recent boom, or screw-ups that missed the student deadline or returned to lobster after failing at some other life pursuit. He wont weigh in on the bill until he sees it, but if the newcomers were to settle in one or two harbors, all hell would break loose, Taylor said. Fourteen people in the zone would benefit from McCreights 10-year license bill, including VernonKvorjakof South Thomaston, who missed his student deadline by mere months as a teen. But students who complete their apprenticeship before they turn 20, or 23 if they are in college, can bypass the list altogether. LD 1503, An Act to Amend Lobster and Crab Fishing License Laws, passed by the Maine Legislature in April, requires the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to contact all individuals who are currently on lobster license waiting lists for each of the six current Limited Entry Zones (A, B, D, E, F, and G), and determine if those individuals Some state lawmakers want to help people like Masterson who have been languishing on the apprentice waitlist for years. But it could have far-reaching effects.. More than 200 people are waiting in the wings for a lobstering license, which has long been a ticket to the middle class for working Mainers. In a closed fishery, would-be lobstermen who finish a state apprenticeship program go on the zone waiting list, where they must wait for a certain number of fishermen to give up their licenses, or their trap tags, before they can start fishing. Learn more. Kelly Clarkson's Home Collection Is Up to 74% Off During Way Day Deals, The Best Wayfair Way Day Deals 2023 Starting at $30. He joined the Zone D waitlist in 2014. He testified with his 3-year-old son, Levi, by his side. The Marine Resources Committee member said he has friends and family that are hurt by the long waits, but others who did their time on the waitlist and worry that essentially opening the gates now would trigger trap wars, make an already tight bait market worse and could make it even more likely that federal regulators tasked with protecting right whales would put harsh restrictions on the industry. Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher is also declining to comment on the proposal until Tuesdays hearing, a spokesman said. David Cousens told lawmakers the current system is not perfect, but this bill does not fix its problems. Others say they shouldnt be penalized simply for developing an interest in lobster fishing later in life. Not everybody can be a taxi driver in New York City, either. Approved and Prohibited Freshwater Species, Lobster Fishing License and Trap Tag Counts, Maine Lobster Research, Education, and Development Board, Maine Lobster Limited Entry and Apprentice Program, Eligibility Criteria for Maine Students Who Want to Start Lobstering, Lobster and Other Trap/Pot Gear Modification Requirements, River Herring (Alewives and Blueback Herring), Maine DMR Online Licensing System Frequently Asked Questions, Maine Diver and Dive Tender License Safety Training Requirements, On-Line Harvester Catch & Landings Reporting, Maine Harvester Landing Reporting Form Examples, Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry (license), Tuna, Shark, and Other Large Species Information, Tips for Catch and Release of Striped Bass, Maine Saltwater Recreational Fishing Opportunities to Participate, Maine Saltwater Sport Fishing Tournaments for 2022, Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Summary, Shellfish Closures and Aquaculture Leases Map, Maine Shellfish Dealer Certification and Inspection, Municipal Shellfish Conservation Warden Information, Phytoplankton Monitoring Form and Guides for Volunteers, Water Quality Monitoring Forms and Protocols, Maine Shellfish Dealer Sanitation and HACCP Guidelines Manual and Forms, Salmon Restoration and Conservation Program (ASRCP), "Experimental" (Limited Purpose) Lease Applications and Forms, Limited-Purpose Aquaculture (LPA) License Applications and Forms, Public Participation in Aquaculture Leasing, Atlantic Halibut Research Tags and Rewards, Maine - New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey, Data Dashboard, Reports, and Publications, Maine Coastal Program's Mapping Initiative, MCMI - Current Projects and Program Highlights, Habitat Restoration and Tools (Maine Stream Habitat Viewer), Job, Internship, and Volunteer Opportunities, https://maine-dmr-leeds-prod.pegacloud.com/, Business and Economic Development Resources. If you wait too long after the 6 week period, we can no longer track them. There are few things in Maine as coveted as a lobster fishing license, and a proposal to bring dozens of people off the state's license waiting list has fishermen in the state ready for a fight. She got her real estatelicense, andrents out a handful of vacation properties she has bought up over the years. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. At this rate, my 9-year-old daughter, Eden, will be able to fish and sell her lobsters before I will.. Only seven new licenses were issued this year in the states six closed zones, said Deirdre Gilbert, director of marine policy at the Department of Marine Resources. There are few things in Maine as coveted as a lobster fishing license, and a proposal to bring dozens of people off the state's license waiting list has fishermen in the state ready for a fight. The idea was if somebodys been on the list that long, it would be nice to offer them an alternative, McCreight said. The number of tags you purchased in 2020 can only increase by 100 in 2021 until you reach your eligibility limit, zone limit or boat limit. That would instantly add more than 50 new fishermen to the industry during an era of high catches and strong prices, but also concern about warming oceans and new fishing restrictions designed to protect whales. By his calculations he'll be nearly 80 years old or dead by the time his wait is over. Horner, Mastersons longtime business partner and former stepfather, advocates for a measured approach. Hed like to buy his stepfathers boat and traps so his stepfather can retire, but first he has to get his own license something he says is nearly impossible under existing rules. In 2016, the Maine Legislature passed LD 1503, a law requiring the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to contact individuals currently on Limited Entry Zone Lobster License Waiting Lists, to determine if they wish to remain on the list, or if they wish to be removed. More than 200 people are waiting in the wings for a lobstering license, which has long been a ticket to the middle class for working coastal Mainers. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. More than 200 people are waiting in the wings for a lobstering license, which has long been a ticket to the middle class for working coastal Mainers. AUGUSTA, Maine A proposal aimed at getting hundreds off a waiting list for lobster licenses is dividing Maine lobstermen. Maine uses a waiting list system to allow new people into its lucrative lobster fishery, and critics of the system have complained that it takes too long to yield licenses. Sign in or Subscribe If the system is changed, some fear it could result in a lower trap limit now at 800 traps per lobsterman for most of the state that could hurt their profits even more. Five students got in with no wait the year before. She still works for Horner, even though he and her mom are no longer together. There were nearly 6,000 licensed Maine lobstermen last year, but only 4,300 did any fishing. The proposal is among a suite of changes proposed to the lobster licensing system in Maine. Horner taught her how to lobster, fish for shrimp and scallops, and drag for haddock, monkfish and cod. The bills presenter, Democratic Rep. Joyce McCreight of Harpswell, said the proposal is designed to help fishermen who have been the victim of a waiting list system that doesnt often budge. The committee will have a workshop for the bill before holding a vote. If you are applying to obtain a northeast multi-species permit, and you will have that permit during the 2021 season, you will need to provide DMR Licensing staff with the documentation showing you have applied to obtain that permit, and YOU MUST contact DMR before your tags are issued.
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