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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 33 Number 5
January 2006
ME forum plans hands-on gear session; new scholarship policy
ROCKPORT, ME - Well-established fishing industry events run the risk of getting a little stale over time, a challenge the Maine Fishermen’s Forum is meeting head-on.
It is planning a special, all-day session on March 2 that is intended to appeal mostly to fishermen and draw their participation. Titled “New Fishing Gear: Cutting Edge or Wasting Time?” the gathering will focus on gear developments and will be set up as a hands-on experience for those who attend.
“My goal, personally, is to get more fishing guys in there,” said Kristan Porter, a forum board member who fishes out of Cutler.
The session will combine talks on recent gear developments and fishing technologies with displays of mobile and fixed fishing gear and demonstrations of how gear works. A combination of fishermen, scientists, and gear engineers will lead the discussion while allowing attendees time to visit displays of fishing gear, scale models, underwater videos, and other images.
“This will be a very informative session, sure to pique the curiosity of fishermen of all gear types,” said Paul Anderson of the Maine Sea Grant Program, who is president of the forum board of directors.
Forum board vice president David Etnier of the Maine Department of Marine Resources stressed the interactive nature of the day-long seminar.
“This is a conscious effort to attract more fishermen to the forum, both this year and on an annual basis,” Etnier said.
Porter will welcome attendees and introduce the Thursday session. Doors will open at 8 am, with coffee and refreshments available while browsing gear displays. Porter will call the session to order at 9 am. Lunch will be provided.
Booth sales, scholarships
Early indications are for another banner year for the 31st edition of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum and Trade Show, set for March 2-4, 2006 at the Samoset Resort.
Coordinator Chilloa Young reported that as of the first week in December, 84 exhibitor reservations had already been taken for the annual trade show, which compares to 72 reservations at the same time a year ago. Capacity tops out at about 115 spaces, and is normally sold out weeks in advance of the show.
New this year, the forum board has approved a change in its scholarship policy.
Previously, the forum has annually awarded 10 scholarships of $1,000 each to second-year college students who have an immediate family member actively participating in Maine’s seafood industry. Winners are selected by random drawing among qualified applicants. Last year, in honor of the forum’s 30th anniversary, the number of scholarships was bumped up to 30.
For 2006 and future years, the number of $1,000 scholarships drawn at Saturday evening’s banquet will be determined by the amount of money raised at the annual benefit auction on Friday night. A traditional forum highlight, the spirited auction has netted over $19,000 in each of the past two years, a tally that would result in the presentation of 19 scholarships.
Forum reservation packages were expected to be mailed in early January. For more information contact Chilloa Young at (207) 442-7700 or visit the forum web site at <www.mainefishermensforum.org>.
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