By Stephen Rappaport

Nearly 40 fishermen and seafood dealers from as far away as Beals Island left their boats and wharves early to tell the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) what they thought of proposed regulations requiring dealers to file trip-based reports of landings in virtually all Maine fisheries.

DMR scientist David Libby explains the state’s interest in collecting landing data from the source.Photo Caption, 8pt Verdana Bold STAFF PHOTOS BY STEPHEN FAY

Their thoughts were not kind.

Since last year, lobster dealers have filed monthly landing reports with the DMR. The reports include the total amount of lobsters purchased by the dealer and the price paid.

The new reports would include the name of each fisherman who sold the dealer lobsters or other fish or shellfish, the quantity of the product landed each trip and the amount the dealer paid for the landed product.

The DMR says trip-based data will help it and other fisheries management authorities do a better job.

On Tuesday, the fishermen and dealers basically characterized that claim with a single word that can’t be printed in a family newspaper but is often used to describe the statements of political figures.

Although disagreement with the DMR proposal had the rare effect of bringing fishermen and dealers together, the two groups had different reasons for their unanimous opposition.

The dealers were most concerned about cost, while the fishermen expressed concerns about privacy and the possible consolidation of the lobster fishery.

Rob Bauer of Blue Hill, a seafood dealer, argued that the reporting requirements would cost the Maine seafood industry “millions of dollars.” The current monthly summary reports provide DMR with all the data it needs, he said.

“You’re already getting what you’re asking,” he told the four DMR staff members running the meeting.

Representing the DMR were Linda Mercer, director of the Bureau of Resource Management, and Patricia Cheney, a port landings agent, as well as scientists Heidi Bray and David Libby.

Fishermen at the meeting seemed most concerned that the trip data collected by DMR would find its way into the hands of other agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service, or would be used to allocate the lobster resource among harvesters using a system of “individual transferable quotas,” known as “ITQs.”

The Maine lobster industry regards ITQs, which would force many harvesters out of the fishery, as anathema.

Dwight Rodgers, manager of the Corea lobster cooperative, told the DMR representatives that the 45 lobstermen who fish for the co-op are unanimously opposed to trip reports.

Another co-op member said, “My biggest fear is that this will lead to ITQs. That’s what NMFS [the National Marine Fisheries Service] wants. If I have any way to fight ITQs, I want it.”

Jack Merrill, a lobsterman from Islesford, said all members of the Cranberry Island co-op are against the proposal. Although the co-op manager already collects the information, Merrill said, “There isn’t one fisherman who’s going to say, ‘Yeah, give them the data’.”

Merrill also expressed a complaint echoed by many in the room. “I don’t see any benefit from this,” he said. “You already have plenty of information.”

Another fisherman summed up the feeling of many in the room.

“You will never get an understanding of the industry sitting behind a desk,” he told the four DMR representatives, who looked increasingly shell-shocked as the meeting wore on. “You have to get out on the water and look at it.”

Then he offered an invitation. “Come haul with me Christmas morning when it’s blowing 20 knots northwesterly and freezing. That’s how you get your information.”