MCCF Monthly
August 2022
The pogy (menhaden) fishery is in full swing here in Stonington.
There are about a dozen boats in town that work in the fishery
commercially and each is allowed to harvest 34 crates per day.
Pogies are caught using purse seines (shown here) or gillnets and
sold locally as lobster bait. We were able to jump onboard with
Jeff Boyce and crew to get some really cool footage from the air.
Maine Fishermen Urged to Comment
on Proposed Reporting Requirements
Last week the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) proposed a rule amending Chapter 8 (Landings Program), which would impact holders of a number of different license types, including lobster. Fishermen are encouraged to read the following proposed rule and voice their feedback on the suggested changes by attending a public hearing or submitting a written comment. The following is from DMR:

This proposed rulemaking makes changes to the reporting requirements for scallop, herring, lobster, and pelagic and anadromous license holders. It changes the frequency of reporting for scallop license holders from trip level data reported monthly to trip level data reported weekly (no later than 11:59 pm Sunday) and requires that reports are submitted via an approved electronic mechanism. The data elements in the scallop harvester report remain unchanged. The proposed rule also extends the time frame for which daily reporting is required in the herring fishery, from September 30 to December 30 annually. The data elements in the herring harvester report remain unchanged. The proposed rule requires all lobster license holders (except apprentice and noncommercial license holders) to report trip level data monthly, and requires reports to be submitted via an approved electronic mechanism. View the proposed changes including the dates for a public hearing and the commentary deadline.
Local Filmmaker Shines
Spotlight on Bagaduce Watershed
Tate Yoder, a native of Penobscot and our media specialist, was tasked with capturing a way to visually tell the story of those involved in what would be the first successful full restoration of a Maine river for fish passage. He did this with over 35 hours of raw footage and interviews with area nonprofits - MCCF and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), state and federal agencies, local government officials, property owners, and fishermen. He expressed the importance of interweaving these various perspectives and voices. Read more about the making of the film.

"A Watershed Moment: A Story About People, Fish, and the Water That Connects Them," will be shown at the 1932 Criterion Theatre this Saturday, August 20. Movie-goers can enjoy an afternoon matinee at 2:00pm or an evening showing at 7:00pm, which will include a Q&A featuring project partners. The 40-minute film highlights the five-year collaborative effort to restore waterways for alewives throughout the Bagaduce River Watershed.
August Lunch and Learn: Cooking Clams
Please join us on Friday, August 26 at 12:30pm for our upcoming Lunch and Learn, "Cooking Clams with Leroy and Herbie," where you'll learn how to purge, shuck, prepare, and cook clams. Our own Mike Thalhauser will join them to talk about how clams are managed in the state and the work that we are involved in to help facilitate the co-management of this species. With Leroy and Herbie having endless stories of clamming together as kids and a wealth of knowledge of how clamming has changed over the years – you won’t want to miss this one-hour presentation.
Be inspired. Fish forever.
Your donation will contribute to our summer appeal and support our
education center, Discovery Wharf, as well as our staff's field work including
studying lobsters, alewives and groundfish, and offering on-the-water
safety training to students through the Eastern Maine Skipper's Program.

Your generosity helps Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries with our
efforts to secure a sustainable future for fisheries and fishing
communities in Eastern Maine. Tax-friendly options include
gifts of stock, IRA QCDs and DAFs. Thank you!

Please consider donating today. Together we can fish forever.