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Speaking at an October 25 meet-ing in Ellsworth, Todd Goodell and other downeast fishermen presented Department of Marine Resources (DMR) commissioner George Lapointe with their opinions on a limited entry scheme being proposed for Maine's shrimp fishery; the last open access trawl fishery in the state. Goodell, a 26 year old fisherman from Bar Harbor has been collecting shrimp gear for the past few years. "I've got about every thing I need and I'd like to set out," he told Lapointe. "But the way you're setting this up, I may never get the chance."
According to DMR commissioner George Lapointe, "concerns were raised by some members of the shrimp industry that there could be a major influx of effort from the lobster industry, or out-of-state boats, and that we should try to do something to prevent that."
Acting on these industry concerns the DMR asked the legislature to form a task force which would design a scheme for establishing limited entry in the shrimp fishery. The eight-member task force consists of shrimp trappers Kelo Pinkham and Mark Cheney; processor John Norton; scientist Dan Schick; and Proctor Wells,
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Roger Libby, Marshall Alexander, and Craig Pendleton, all draggermen from west of Port Clyde.
The plan they devised calls for limiting the total number of harvesters to those who held a license in any year between 1994 and 1999, covering the years of highest participation in the industry. Qualifying applicants for drag licenses would have to show documented sales of 10,000 pounds in any one year to a licensed seafood dealer, trappers would have to show 5,000 pounds in sales.
According to Roger Libby, the only way regulators can control landings at present is by limiting
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the season. "We've got no way to control effort. We [draggers] have got limits on our horse power, but there's lobsterboats out there that could tow circles around us. If they all decided to go shrimping we'd have a problem."
For a young fisherman like Goodell, who has no history in the fishery, the criteria proposed by the task force means he would be shut out permanently. "I owe a lot and I have to keep working," said Goodell. "So far things have been good, but a few years down the road there may be shrimp out there and I may need to go. The old guys with their boats paid off don't mind, but continue
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