News
MSA News Releases and Published Articles
May 2010
MSA Submits a Flood Closure Proposal to DMR
SOURCE: MSA
Download the full text (PDF file)
In May the MSA Board of Directors offered the following proposal to the Maine Department of marine Resources. Industry Proposed Flood Closure Transition Plan May 7, 2010 Executive Summary The industry is currently suffering with a two-inch flood closure... Read full article
22 Jan '10
Legislative Update
SOURCE: MSA
Bills of Interest to MSA – January 2010 LD 932 An Act To Establish Area Management of Maine's Scallop Fishery Summary: This bill seeks to establish area management of the State's scallop fishery. Status 1-22-09 Voted Ought Not to Pass (ONTP) in Committee... Read full article
05-29-2009
State Red Tide Update
SOURCE: DMR
Biotoxin monitoring program
DMR Red Tide Update May 29,,2009 Hi Everyone – We haven't seen any great sweeping changes in the PSP toxicity patterns and scores in western Maine; there are still high scores in eastern Casco Bay, and a steady supply of lower scores spread along the... Read full article
02-09-2009
Legislative Updates
SOURCE: MSA
Current information concerning bills in the Maine Legislature is listed in the current issues section of the site. Read full article
10-02-2008
DMR Proposing Rule Changes for Shellfish Harvesting and Processing
SOURCE: MSA
The Maine Department of Marine Resources is proposing rule changes for "Scallop Harvesting", "Mussel Dragging" and "Receiving Shellfish". Listed below are capsuls of each change, public hearing schedules and contact persons for each catagory. There is... Read full article
10-02-2008
Chapter 11 Scallop Harvesting
SOURCE: DMR
Download the full text (PDF file)
The proposed amendments would establish a season to start no earlier than December 1 and end no later than March 31, not to exceed 52 days. The proposed recommended days “on” would be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday in the months of December,... Read full article
10-02-2008
Chapter 16.26 Receiving Shellfish
SOURCE: DMR
Download the full text (PDF file)
The proposed regulations in Chapter 16 would update the physical plant rules for certified shellfish dealers with regard to receiving shellfish at their permanent facility. These proposed regulations would provide for compliance and consistency with the... Read full article
10-02-2008
Chapter 7.70 Intertidal mussel harvesting by drag or dredge
SOURCE: DMR
Download the full text (PDF file)
The Commissioner proposes rules to establish intertidal mussel harvesting areas and the permit process to harvest mussels by drag in these areas. The proposed rules would provide compliance with statutes effective June 30, 2008 in accordance with 12 M.R.S.A... Read full article
07-09-2008
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (Red Tide) Illnesses – Washington County
SOURCE: News release from DMR and Dept. of Health
Press Release Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (Red Tide) Illnesses – Washington County July 8, 2008 Contacts: DMR – Darcie Couture, Toxin Monitoring Program 350-6035 DHHS – Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH, Maine CDC 287-3270 Over the weekend of July 5th... Read full article
05-20-2008
Shellfish Advisory Council Established
SOURCE: MSA
The Maine Department of Marine resources has announced the members of the Shellfish Advisory Council as prescribed by recent legislation that followed the Water Quality Review. Randy Ramsdell and Ginny Olsen from the MSA Board of Directors are serving... Read full article
02-27-2008
Legislative Updates
SOURCE: MSA
Listed below are brief updates of active marine resource bills in the current legislative session. For more complete information go to current issues section. 123 Maine Legislature Second Regular Session Marine Resource Bills LD 1957 An Act To Restore... Read full article
02-22-2008
Shellfish Industry Communication Discussion to be held at Fishermen's Forum
SOURCE: MSA
The Maine Seafood Alliance is hosting a discussion session at the 2008 Fishermen's Forum in Rockport at 10:30 AM on Saturday March 1. The purpose of the session is to discuss the needs and mechanisms for better communication, cooperation and collaboration... Read full article
09-27-2007
DMR Public Health Division Review Underway
SOURCE: MSA from Sea Grant project web site
The review of the Public Health Division of Maine DMR as prescribed by LD 1318 is underway. Paul Anderson, Maine Sea Grant, David Etnier, DMR and Valy Steverlynk, industry representative make up the selection team outlined in the legislation. They have... Read full article
09-27-2007
Maine Well Represented at ISSC
Ginny Olsen from Oceanville seafood in Stonington in Stonington attended this year's conference and provided the following report.
SOURCE: Ginny Olsen
Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC), Albuquerque, New Mexico I have returned from my trip to the ISSC where we discussed over 80 proposals covering 657 pages of text. The conference went very well this year. There were approximately 227... Read full article
06-22-2007
LD1318 To be Enacted
SOURCE: MSA from State Legislature web site
LD1318 ‘Resolve, To Conduct an Independent Review of the Department of Marine Resources, Public Health Division' will be enacted into law when Governor John Baldacci signs it into law on June 29. After much deliberation in the Marine Resources Committee... Read full article
06-01-2007
Friday June 1-LD1318 Moves toward Passage
SOURCE: MSA Report
The Maine House passed an amended version of LD1318 on Tuesday May 29, The Senate has added an amendment but has not passed the bill and will not do so at least until Monday June 4. Below is a summary of the bill as it is now written. Note in #2 the... Read full article
05-25-2007
May 25-Marine Resources Committee acts on LD1318
SOURCE: MSA
The Marine Resources Committee in the Legislature took action today on LD1318. They voted the bill out as "Ought to Pass as Amended." The ammendment changed the title of the bill from: "Resolve, To Require the Department of Marine Resources and the Office... Read full article
04-12-2007
LD1318 Stirring up the waters
SOURCE: Maine Seafood Alliance
Download the full text (PDF file)
LD1318 "To Require the Department of Marine Resources and the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability To Conduct an Independent Review and Audit of the Public Health Division" is making news all along the coast. MSA member Glen Melvin... Read full article
03-30-2007
MSA Offers Testimony on LD1318
SOURCE: MSA Board Meeting
Maine State Legislature Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources Senator Dennis Damon, Chair Representative Leila Percy, Chair Re: LD 1318 – Resolve to Require the Department of Marine Resources and the Office of Program Evaluation and Government... Read full article
01-01-2007
Maine Shellfish Alliance Branches Out of Downeast Inception
SOURCE: Commercial Fisheries News
The Board of Directors of the newly formed Maine Seafood Alliance recently held a meeting in Scarborough to acquaint local harvesters with the organization and hear about harvester and industry concerns in that region of the State. Read the full article... Read full article
08-04-2006
Maine Clammers Lost Millions
A UMM researcher puts a dollar figure on closing clam flats
SOURCE:
MACHIAS - Maine clammers lost $3.6 million when red tide and runoff from heavy rains closed flats from Kittery to the Canadian border last year. That's according to the findings of Dr. Kevin Athearn, a natural resource economist at the University of... Read full article
08-01-2006
MSA to Prepare Recommendation for Red Tide Relief Funds
SOURCE: Fishermen's Voice Newspaper - August 2006
Editorial Staff
CHERRYFIELD — The relatively young Maine Seafood Alliance (MSA) is preparing a recommendation for the disbursement of $2 million in federal aid for red tide relief. The aid is part of a $5 million package to assist New England shell fishermen affected... Read full article
07-26-2006
MSA Directors Make Recommendations for Funds Distribution
SOURCE: MSA Press Release
At its July 25 meeting, the directors of the Maine Seafood Alliance (MSA) voted to make the following recommendations with regard to the distribution of Red Tide Disaster Relief Funds. MSA will maintain its position of strong support for the harvesters... Read full article