Flavors From the Bayou Raise Money
for Lobstermen

Left to right: John McMillan, Mike Dassatt, Don Wagner. McMillan’s Offshore Safety Training crew and Downeast Lobstermen’s Association joined together to cook up jambalaya for the fundraiser. The event raised about $2,000 for the Legal Defense Fund. More of these legal defense fundraiser events are being planned in other towns.

Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast was the destination for lobstermen and lobster lovers on Saturday April 6th for an evening to raise money for the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Legal Defense Fund. The MLA is the state’s oldest fishermen’s organization, founded in 1954.

A crowd of hungry people turned out for some Louisiana-style jambalaya cooked by Belfast’s own John McMIllan. McMillan runs McMillan Offshore Survival Training (http://mcmillanoffshore.com), which offers Coast Guard-approved survival classes to those who work on the water. McMillan and his small crew mixed up the savory stew in huge cooking pots just outside the Tavern’s back door. Hamburgers and hot dogs were also available along with homemade desserts and Moxie. All the food was free, with donations accepted.

Indoors, the bluegrass band The Itinerant Visitors, led by Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries director Paul Anderson, kept toes tapping and people on the dance floor. Anderson encouraged the audience to take part in the business raffle. The proceeds also benefited the Legal Defense Fund. Local businesses donated items ranging from fishing gear to gift certificates for local restaurants. By the end of the evening, donations and the raffle raised almost $2,000 for the Fund.

The Itinerate Visitors delighted attendees with their rollicking bluegrass tunes. At right, on guitar, Paul Anderson, MCCF.

The MLA Legal Defense Fund allows the MLA to take part in a legal battle against proposed changes to the federal whale rules, changes which are likely to severely impact the state’s lobster fishery. The MLA is currently an intervenor in a court case involving the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Endangered Species Act.

Maine lobstermen landed nearly 120 million pounds of lobster last year, with a landed value of more than $484 million. Those millions of dollars form the foundation of the economy in small towns throughout the coast. “We are very aware that Maine lobstermen are not the cause of whale entanglements, however, there is no denying we have a lot of rope in the water. At this point we know that the law is clear that lobstermen will be required to do something, and it is our job to fight for a fair resolution that will allow our industry to remain economically viable,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the MLA.

Downeast Lobstermen’s Association President Sheila Dassatt helped organize the event and readily understands the importance of all lobstermen and organizations working together this year. “We’ve got to stand together,” she said. “Otherwise we don’t stand a chance.”

To learn more about the MLA and its stance on right whale regulations, visit www.mainelobstermen.org. If you would like to donate to the MLA Legal Defense Fund, visit https://mainelobstermen.org/projects/legal-defense-fund.