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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 33 Number 8
April 2006
DMR hires Myrick; fills protected species program staff positions
HALLOWELL, ME - When Terry Stockwell was promoted to Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) director of External Affairs late last year, his move up left a vacancy in the critical field liaison position between fishermen and the department.
The DMR announced in early March that lifelong lobsterman Mike Myrick had been hired to fill the post, which is formally called resource management coordinator.
“We are glad to have Mike join us and to have that important position filled again,” said DMR Commissioner George Lapointe when he introduced Myrick at the DMR Advisory Council meeting on March 15.
With just a handful of days on the job at that point, Myrick said he was still learning his way. He starts off with lobster, urchin, and scallop responsibilities.
Myrick works out of the DMR offices in Hallowell. He can be reached by phone at (207) 624-6567; cell (207) 592-8813, or e-mail <michael.myrick@maine.gov>.
Protected resources
The DMR also recently announced the following staff complement for its Protected Resources Program: Stephen Robbins III, gear specialist; Linda Doughty, strandings coordinator; and Erin Estrada, scientist.
Estrada joined DMR in late February, while Robbins and Doughty were hired last summer. There is federal funding for all of the positions. The Estrada and Robbins positions are paid for by National Whale Conservation Funds. The strandings coordinator is funded by a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) direct contract and Prescott funds.
Stockwell, who had previously spent about half of his time on large whale issues, continues to provide overall supervision to the protective resources program, though he is removed from its day-to-day operations.
He said bringing together the program team was happening at a critically important time, and each person brings unique skills to the effort.
“There is a need for cohesive data collection and analysis. The clock is ticking,” Stockwell said, referring to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP).
NMFS is expected to file its final rule implementing changes to the ALWTRP early this summer. Among the new requirements to reduce the risk of whale entanglement in fishing gear, NMFS will likely include a phase out of the use of float rope, starting with its prohibition for groundlines in the lobster fishery.
The use of sinking or neutrally buoyant rope could become mandatory, though DMR has made a case to NMFS for including language that would provide for “emerging rope technologies.” Alternatives would have to be ready by 2008, when a float rope ban could take effect.
The task is to show a low profile groundline can reduce the arc between traps, while at the same time allowing lobstermen to continue fishing on the hard, tide-swept bottom off parts of the Maine coast.
“The public has an expectation that we’re going to protect the whales. We’ve got to deliver,” Stockwell said. “But our guys still have to be able to haul (lobster traps).”
Development of low profile groundline is one of Robbins’ ongoing projects. Part of that work is also collecting field data that can make the case for the rope’s effectiveness. In addition, he is also developing and will conduct lobster gear bridle configuration experiments.
Scientist Estrada will analyze the rope data collected by Robbins to determine a definition of low profile.
Pointing to this past winter when there were right whales the length of the Maine coast, Stockwell said another task for Esrada is to initiate a survey of the forage in the Gulf of Maine.
“If we knew some of those forage answers, it would help us in predicting problems,” he said.
Linda Doughty’s role as strandings coordinator is to respond to all dead seal standings in western Maine; to assist with all live/dead whale strandings; and to coordinate the efforts of the state’s strandings collaborative and to arrange a spring meeting and trainings sessions for network members.
Stockwell said he would continue to participate on the ALWTRP Take Reduction Team.
Susan Jones
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