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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 11
July 2007
Demand low, but lobster bait supply concerns grow
KENNEBUNK, ME – The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closed herring Area 1A to midwater trawlers on June 1, leaving the area open only to vessels that opt to use purse seine gear to catch herring.
Preliminary data obtained online from the NMFS Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system’s weekly Atlantic herring landing report showed that 8,264 metric tons (mt) were caught out of the available 50,000 mt quota for Area 1A for the week ending June 2, the last week before the midwater trawl ban went into effect. As of June 9, an additional 95 mt had been landed.
The Area 1A midwater trawl ban, which lasts through Sept. 30, has many bait dealers concerned about the supply of fresh bait for the lobster industry this summer and fall.
Additionally, the “zero tolerance” regulation of not allowing any spawn herring in catches is expected to stop all herring fishing at some point this fall and is sharpening concern over bait supply for the Northeast lobster fishery.
As of June 14, dealers said the bait market was slow and that herring was being caught by four purse seine boats in Area 1A and by midwater trawlers offshore in Area 1B.
Billie Schofield of NORPEL in New Bedford reported that the company’s four midwater trawl boats were tied up as of mid-June, and there was no plan to rig over to purse seine gear once they resumed fishing.
“We hope to support the lobster bait industry as much as we can and understand the importance of the industry regionally,” said Schofield.
Inventory
NORPEL, which is the trade name for the Northern Pelagic Group LLC, had about a half-million pounds of frozen herring, mackerel, and herring/mackerel mix in the freezer. The frozen bait was available in 23-kilo (50.6-pound) cartons for herring and mackerel and in 25-kilo (55-pound) cartons for the herring/mackerel mix.
Cape Seafoods Inc. in Gloucester also reported its midwater boats were tied to the wharf in mid-June and would not be turning over to purse seining.
“The midwater boats have been excluded from areas where the fish are for the bait market,” said Dave Ellenton of Cape Seafoods. “The boats plan to go back fishing offshore at the beginning of July and will be looking everywhere for herring.”
Ellenton said that Cape Seafoods has an inventory of frozen bait that includes herring, mackerel, and pogies in 25- and 50-pound packages. The company also had fresh, salted pogies available in mid-June.
“If dealers want to buy frozen bait and hold it in our freezers, they should call and make arrangements with us,” said Ellenton.
Cape Seafoods has cold storage with 5,000 pallet spaces.
Another company reporting an inventory of frozen bait was Little Bay Fish Co. in Newington, NH, which is the parent company of The Bait Lady.
“We tied up our boats after mackerel season,” said Cheryl Josselyn of Little Bay. “Our boats will be back fishing offshore in August.”
On frozen bait, Little Bay was offering blocks of frozen herring, mackerel, and pogies not heavier than 50 pounds.
Price
Little Bay plans to haul fresh bait in from Canada. The price for that product will depend on several factors, including the cost of fuel, Josselyn said.
Jennie Bichrest of Purse Line Bait in Sebasco, ME indicated in mid-June that she was working to build up the company’s inventory.
“I’m buying partly from the seiners and partly from midwater trawlers, and I will be freezing bait,” she said.
Various dockside reports midmonth indicated that the price of fresh bait had gone up, but Bichrest said that she had not heard of any change.
“It’s still 12 cents per pound,” she said.
Moving up the coast, O’Hara Corp. in Rockland, ME reported that the Starlight was seining and the Sunlight, though tied up for engine work, was being rigged for purse seining.
“We’re catching fish, but the market is slow right now,” said the company’s Wyatt Anderson. “We are keeping up with our customers.”
Anderson added that O’Hara does not plan on freezing bait – it doesn’t have that capability. Fresh fish offloaded from their boats will be kept in the cooler, he said.
“I’ve heard mentioned that the price of bait is going up, but that has not happened yet,” Anderson said in mid-June. “We are still at 12 cents per pound.”
Canning
Stinson Seafood, a division of Bumble Bee Foods LLC, which is owned by the Canadian company Connors Bros., has been canning herring in Prospect Harbor, ME for many years, and this year was no exception.
“We have been doing fairly well,” said Stinson’s Al West. “Bait hasn’t really taken off yet, and we are all waiting to hear how purse seining is going.”
Reports were circulating among Maine and Massachusetts fishermen that Canadian trucks were lining up to purchase herring from midwater boats landing in New England.
West said that Canadian canners such as Stinson’s parent company have the capacity to can three times more than Stinson. Vessels that Stinson buys from pump the herring directly into vats in their trucks and take them to the plant for canning.
“The Canadian purse seine fishery just got underway this week,” said West in mid-June.
With herring available locally, West said he didn’t expect that Canadians would continue coming to the states for product.
“While there was minimal fish on Georges last year, it is my hope that fish will be offshore to supplement the inshore catch,” said West. “If there is fish offshore, then there should be enough to go around.”
For weekly updates on the herring catch and other species, go to the NMFS IVR web site at <www.nero.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/reports_frame.htm>.
Rosanne Mizzoni
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