|
|
|
||||||||||||
by Karin Sanborn “The result of increasing costs in fuel, bait, and gear is choking the percentage of profit to a level dangerously lower than we’ve seen before” was how Jennifer Larrabee described it during her presentation. Larrabee is a fourth generation member of a local fishing family. She is on the Board of Directors for Penobscot East Resource Center, the University of Maine Lobster Institute, and a member of the Stonington Fisheries Alliance. After the personal testimony of David Heanssler, a working fisherman, and president of PERC’s Board of Directors, came Larrabee’s charts and documentation showing the captivated audience the numbers. The audience learned that as the other fisheries are depleted the dependency on lobster has increased to represent 95 percent of the seafood landings reported in Stonington last year—nearly 24 million pounds. The good news she said is that the lobster population is not in danger. Between the current regulations including the size of lobsters caught, the V marking of females with eggs, fishermen’s apprentice teachings, license terms and trap limits, the industry is in great shape. Larrabee said, “Ironically, our lobster fishery is in real trouble at a time of tremendous lobster abundance. If the lobster fishery collapses, it will be because of economic pressures, not ecological ones.” The cost of fuel, bait and gear is higher but the price per pound to the boat for lobster is lower, causing the imbalance in profits for the fishermen. She said the unique situation the Island is in economically can be better understood by proportionally reviewing income sources. Nearly 30 percent of the Island is self employed fishermen and that is twice the rate of other communities in Hancock County. Larrabee said the increasing cost to fish is not only a threat to the fishermen, but to the Island’s entire economy suggesting its influence on other business related to tourism, real estate and financial institutes. The very source of what makes the Island so special, she said, was in jeopardy. The purpose of the meeting hosted by PERC was to draw attention to the possibility that this is no longer a fishermen’s issue, but that of the entire island. Some of the numbers shown are in the tables below. The meeting’s panel included Steve Robbins, the manager of the Stonington Lobster Co-Op who participated in an open Q&A and spoke about his firsthand view of the lobster economy. One of the ways Robbins suggested the community could help was to support the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. He also said the Stonington Lobster Hatchery and Stonington Fisheries Alliance are local groups to become involved with that can make a difference. The meeting included ice cream at break time when Robin Alden, the Executive Director of PERC, and the meeting’s facilitator, Deb Burwell, took time to meet personally with community members and introduce them to panel members and others present. Boat price and expenses July 25, 1999 What does this mean to the boat? July 25, 2008 July 25, 1999 Or consider a year... July 25, 2008 July 25, 1999
Return to the Island Ad-Vantages home page. |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Cart