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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 35 Number 8
April 2008
ME lobster exit-entry ratios shift to trap tags
PORTLAND, ME – In September 2007 Maine enacted a new law amending the method the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) must use when issuing a new lobster license within any of the limited entry lobster zones. The shift in exit-entry guidelines is required to take effect starting with license year 2009.
The new law will modify current exit-to-entry lobster license ratios by requiring the DMR to issue new licenses based solely on the number of trap tags retired within a zone instead of the number of licenses retired in the previous year.
This legislative action is in response to the continual increase in trap tags issued by DMR despite ongoing efforts to reduce fishing effort by limiting entry into the lobster fishery through exit-to-entry license ratios.
Up until now, the DMR has only issued new lobster licenses off the waiting list for each zone based on the specific number of licenses not renewed within the zone.
Six of the seven zones have established their own exit-to-entry ratio, permitting the DMR to issue one new lobster license only after retiring a pre-established number of licenses within that zone.
Effort reduction
Regulatory steps were first taken to reduce fishing effort in the Maine lobster industry in 1995 when a new management plan was initiated that allowed lobstermen to co-manage the lobster fishery with the DMR. Seven zones were created along the coast, and each zone had its own elected governing council.
By law the zones initially could set their own trap limits within the maximum set by the state. In 1999, zone councils were further granted the power to make recommendations to the department concerning limited-entry guidelines and set limits on the number of new fishermen licensed within their zone.
In 1997, the DMR issued a total of 6,386 Class I, II, and III lobster licenses and 2,562,227 trap tags to Maine lobstermen. By 2006, the total number of Class I, II, and III lobster licenses issued fell by almost 10% to 5,764. However, potential fishing effort increased nearly 28% during that same time period.
“Currently, we only know what the potential fishing effort looks like for each lobster zone based on total trap tags issued within that zone. With the exception of a year or two, the potential fishing effort in every zone has been steadily increasing since 1997,” said Sarah Cotnoir, DMR’s resource management coordinator.
This is so because not every license holder fishes every tag they buy and are legally allowed to fish.
“Some lobstermen are winding down or are only lobstering part-time. Some lobstermen often only apply for 200-300 trap tags, but when they retire their license, a new license is issued allowing 600-800 traps to be fished, depending on the zone,” Cotnoir explained.
Newly licensed lobstermen can obtain the maximum number of tags allowed in his declared zone. Zone E has a 600 trap limit and the limit is 800 in the other six zones.
“If a retired license has fewer than the maximum trap tags, fishing effort is potentially increased when a new license allowed to fish 600-800 traps is issued,” said Cotnoir.
Zone surveys
The new shift in exit-to-entry ratios based on retired trap tags rather than retired licenses requires zones with established limited-entry guidelines set prior to Sept. 1, 2007 to conduct a written survey of all commercial lobster license holders over the age of 17 in their zone. The zone councils must complete their zone surveys by Sept. 1.
The zone councils will make exit-entry ratio recommendations to the DMR commissioner based on the survey results from their zone. Recommendations must be made by Sept.15.
The new law also impacts other areas of lobster management. It makes 17 the youngest age at which one can obtain a Class I, II, or III commercial lobster and crab fishing license. And it creates a policy authority that allows a zone to consider whether or not to create a separate waiting list for young people’s entry into that zone.
Zones F, D
The Zone F council met in Yarmouth, ME on March 12 and voted to send out the exit-to-entry trap tag ratio survey. Fishermen holding licenses in Zone F are being asked to consider and recommend which trap tag exit-entry ratios they would like to apply in Zone F.
Fishermen can vote on exit-entry ratios as low as 1:1 and up to as high as 5:1. If fishermen select a 1:1 ratio, one new lobster license will be issued within their zone for every 800 trap tags retired. If fishermen select a 2:1 ratio, one new lobster license will be issued for every 1,600 trap tags retired. If fishermen select a 5:1 ratio, one new lobster license will be issued for every 4,000 trap tags retired.
Zone F fishermen are allowed to fish up to 800 traps and the ratios are based on that trap limit.
“It is extremely important that fishermen complete and return their survey to the DMR so we can make a recommendation to the commissioner that accurately reflects the changes fishermen in our zone believe need to happen,” said Jeff Putnam, a Zone F District 3 representative from Chebeague Island.
He added that fishermen who have questions about the new exit-entry ratio system should contact their council representative or the DMR.
On March 18, the Zone D management council voted unanimously to recommend a 5:1 exit ratio using tags based on the results of a survey conducted in February.
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