Landings Newsletter Header




May 5th, 2025 | EDITION #6 | 207-633-9414 | [email protected]

________________________________________________________________________







Fisherman Spotlight

   Warming weather means harvesters are cleaning hulls, replacing parts, and tuning engines, all in preparation for the 2025 Maine Lobster Boat Races [ [link removed] ]. The races are a tradition for harvesters, bringing the fishing community together for a celebration of community, culture and horsepower. Races start in Boothbay on June 14 and will span 10 weeks up and down the coast, culminating in Portland on August 17 during MS Harborfest weekend. Over these 10 weeks, harvesters and their families will reconnect with industry along Maine’s coast.

   Among these harvesters will be Robert Ray. Throughout Robert’s career, he has been fortunate to have worked in many fisheries and on many vessels. He emphasized the importance of the community he works within, as well as taking advantage of opportunities to learn and grow, even in tough situations.

   When Robert took ownership of the F/V Taurus Two, his dreams came to fruition. The Taurus Two, a 35’ vessel is one that Robert has raced in the Maine Lobster Boat races before. Robert loves lobster boat races, but loves being out to sea even more. He works hard to ensure that the Taurus Two keeps everyone onboard safe while they enjoy the sea breeze and make a living.




 

   When asked about his favorite fishing experiences, Robert could easily write a book! He recalled one trip as a deckhand where choppy seas were coupled with the smell of rotten bait. The bait was so foul, and the seas were so rough that he spent the day puking between traps. Robert spoke about foul-bait as a sensory experience that every fisherman can relate to – whether you are reading about it, talking about it, or getting a whiff of it, it brings you back to the deck of a boat in a matter of seconds.

   When thinking about the past and future of Maine’s fisheries, Robert feels that it’s important for harvesters to be an advocate, while also respecting rules and regulations. To do this, Robert explained that as a harvester you must show up at meetings and express your thoughts and concerns. Robert recalled being part of one legal consideration surrounding clam flat restoration back in the 90’s. He was one of many at the discussion, making sure he and fellow clammer's were heard. Robert reiterated the importance of sticking together and showing up! Robert’s devotion to the sea and the craft is clear. It is a legacy his mentors helped mold and a legacy he feels privileged to continue to share with future generations.

 






________________________________________________________________________



*Impacts of Inflation on Lobster Value*

   Maine DMR has historically reported the raw ex vessel value of our harvested seafood as a total value, unadjusted for inflation. Maine’s lobster fishery landed 86.1 million pounds and were paid $528.4 million in raw ex-vessel value in 2024. Most people know that the US dollar value today is not the same as in the past, and due to inflation does not go as far as a dollar twenty years ago. Inflation is always a factor when comparing value or price data over time, and economists develop indices to adjust values and prices to help evaluate time series. A general consumer price index (CPI) can be used to adjust for the everyday items that we buy as consumers, but there are also producer price indices (PPI) that are used to adjust prices from the perspective of the producers, accounting for the changes in expenses to produce the item. Using the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis’ producer price index [ [link removed] ] for unprocessed and prepared seafood, we can calculate the ex-vessel value of the lobster fishery in the past in terms of 2024 dollars to evaluate how the fishery is doing economically (figure below).

inflation graph

   In 2024, the boat price was high and Maine’s lobster industry brought in the 3rd highest annual unadjusted value, but, when considering inflation and putting all years in terms of 2024 dollars, it was the 11th highest value since 1950. While some harvesters may have had some of the highest gross incomes in 2024, those incomes were required to stretch further due to the increasing costs of gear, bait, labor, insurance, groceries, and other household expenses. 






________________________________________________________________________



Maine State Aquarium

   We are excited to announce that the Maine State Aquarium will open on June 11! Our hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 3pm, and we are closed on federal holidays. Our admission fees and tips to make your experience enjoyable are on our website.

We will also be open during the Windjammer Festival on June 25, 10am to 3pm. Visit the Maine State Aquarium and explore how lobsters grow, what they eat, why they are different colors, and who the DMR scientists are studying them. In addition to the aquarium experience that includes a variety of tanks, hands-on exhibits, and interactive displays, you'll meet our lobster color morphs, hear from researchers, and make lobster crafts.

 

   In addition to the aquarium experience, which includes a variety of tanks, hands-on exhibits, and interactive displays, your admission now includes access to our brand-new Learning Lab, a hands-on space right next to the aquarium! This year's feature? The Sharks of the Gulf of Maine. Meet these fascinating creatures and learn how DMR researchers track them in real-time.

 

 

Maine State Aquarium Needs You!

 

We need you

We will be looking for specific species from the Gulf of Maine to have here at the Maine State Aquarium. If you are interested in helping us acquire organisms, please complete this survey [ [link removed] ] and we will contact you.

If you have questions or want to learn more, please visit our website [ [link removed] ] or email us at [email protected].

 





________________________________________________________________________



General Info

*"Need Assistance from the Landings Program?"*

Landings Program staff are available by phone: (207) 633-9414, or by email: [email protected] Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm

*Appointments for in-person office assistance need to be scheduled with the Landings Program in advance*. Walk-ins are not accepted at this time. To schedule an in-person appointment, please contact Landings at (207) 633-9414 for a date & time. The Landings Program office is located at: "194 McKown Point Rd, West Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575."

"*
Need Assistance from the Licensing Dept?*"

Licensing staff are available by phone:
(207) 624-6550 option 2, or by email: [email protected] Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm. Harvesters *can visit the Licensing Dept. for
in-person help Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday.* Wednesday & Fridays are closed for in-person help; however, you can call or leave license applications in the drop-box outside. The Licensing Dept. office is located in the
"Marquardt Building at:
32 Blossom Ln, Augusta, ME 04330."






________________________________________________________________________



Landings Program Updates

_Do you have pending VESL reports?_

* To determine if you have pending VESL reports, follow these steps [ [link removed] ] and look for any reports that say "PENDING".
* Click on the pending reports and try and to submit them. 
* If you have multiple fishing effort errors or are receiving any other type of error message, contact the Landings Program at (207) 633-9414.

pending reports

*_Do you have a new vessel?_*


* If you have acquired a new boat or obtained a new federal permit, please call Licensing (207-624-6550, option 2) to ensure the boat/permit is associated with your licenses.
* If you use VESL to report your landings, please contact Landings (207-633-9414) to update your boat in the app.

*Do you need to submit a request for Landings Data?*


* If you need access to landings data that has been submitted to the DMR for yourself, your business, or for research purposes you will need to complete this Landings Data Request Form [ [link removed] ] and follow the instructions for submitting a notarized data release form.
* If you report in VESL, you can click here [ [link removed] ] to view how to download a file of all VESL reports submitted. 
* If you have questions about how to complete the Landings Data Request Form, please contact the Landings Program at (207) 633-9414.





________________________________________________________________________



Maine DMR White Shark Monitoring

The DMR began monitoring white shark ("Carcharodon carcharias") activity in the Gulf of Maine beginning late August of 2020 in response to increased public interest. The objective of this program is to investigate and improve our understanding of the distribution and habitat use patterns of white sharks in coastal Maine. Shark movements are tracked by DMR through acoustic telemetry via a waterproof transmitter (or tag), which is inserted into back muscle near the first dorsal fin. When an acoustic tag comes within 1,000-2,000’ of a compatible acoustic receiver, a detection event is recorded and stored on the receiver. Some tags can transmit for up to 10 years! Receivers are deployed underwater by the DMR each spring at fixed locations in the ocean with the help of commercial fishermen, then recovered in the fall or early winter so scientists can download the detection event data.






Shark receiver locations

If a receiver is not found at the end of a season, scientists cannot access its data. 

 

To date, the cumulative number of white sharks detected on DMR receivers comes to 93. For reference, there are approximately 300-350 white sharks currently carrying detectable acoustic tags.

 

 

"Map of 2024 DMR receiver sites. Red "X" indicates "

"receivers ""that were not recovered."

 

Activity from acoustic telemetry has been highest during the months of August and September, both by number of visits from sharks and by average number of days with detection activity. Detected sharks have ranged in size from 7’ - 16’ total length (from snout to tail tip), with an average estimated size of 10’1”.


shark




In 2024, scientists observed relatively higher activity at receivers by Higgins Beach, Scarborough Beach, and Cape Elizabeth. 

 

shark visits plot

While overall detection activity from white sharks remains relatively low compared to nearby Cape Cod, which is considered an aggregation area for the species, it is likely that a large portion of tagged sharks traveling through Maine waters go undetected due to low receiver coverage and the fact that not all white sharks who enter the Gulf of Maine are tagged.

 



qr code

If you see a white shark, please report it to the DMR at the QR code provided or via the free phone app "Sharktivity [ [link removed] ] "

For more information about out survey, how it works, what data we collect, and what the results could mean for you, please our website. [ [link removed] ]







________________________________________________________________________


help track fish flyer
________________________________________________________________________







FEDERAL REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE TIPS
stat area mapfol2
Click here [ [link removed] ] to log into your FOL account.
fol1FOL2
________________________________________________________________________







"*Click the links below to see detailed instructions & additional reporting tips:*"






*Maine LEEDS:*

*

Download Submitted Landings Reports [ [link removed] ]*NEW!*


* Creating a Did Not Fish Report  [ [link removed] ]
* How to View Compliance Status [ [link removed] ]
* Creating an Elver Fyke Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating an Elver Dip Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a Scallop Drag Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a Scallop Dive Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a Lobster Report [ [link removed] ]
* How to Set Reporting Favorites [ [link removed] ]
* Editing a Report in LEEDS [ [link removed] ]

*Click here [ [link removed] ] to view all LEEDS how-to manuals.




*VESL App:*

* Creating a Did Not Fish Report [ [link removed] ]
* Download a Report of VESL Data [ [link removed] ]
* Creating an Elver Fyke Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating an Elver Dip Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a State Scallop Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a Federal Scallop Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a State Lobster Report [ [link removed] ]
* Creating a Federal Lobster Report [ [link removed] ]
* Editing a Report in VESL [ [link removed] ]

 

 

*Click here [ [link removed] ] to view all VESL how-to manuals.








 

________________________________________________________________________

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL AS RESPONSES ARE NOT MONITORED. 

This service is provided to you as a courtesy by the Maine Department of Marine Resources [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Marine Resources · 21 State House Station · Augusta, ME 04333-0021· 207-624-6550 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]