Day: May 12, 2008

Attention Gloucester Lobstermen-

The Bottom Line Project
Maine Poly Groundline Exchange Program

The Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (GOMLF) received funding from Congress to conduct the Bottom Line Project, a voluntary program to provide economic assistance to lobstermen who want to convert from floating to sinking groundlines. Converting to sinking groundlines will reduce the likelihood of entanglement for large whales, such as the highly endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.

The Maine lobster industry is comprised of more than 7,000 ”owner-operated” businesses. These small fishing businesses fuel the economy of Maine’s coastal communities. As small businesses, they are not able to easily absorb unexpected costs in a timely manner. But collectively, the lobster industry is an essential component of Maine’s economy. In 2005, Maine’s lobster fishery landed over 64 million pounds valued at nearly $300 million. The lobster industry is the backbone of Maine’s fishing industries which as a whole are responsible for 26,000 year-round jobs sustaining nearly 1 billion dollars of economic activity (Coastal Enterprises, 2004).

GOMLF estimates that a typical full-time lobsterman currently spends an average of $5500 to rig his gear with floating groundline. This cost increases by nearly 60% if the gear is rigged with sinking and/or neutrally buoyant groundline. And depending upon the type of groundline fished and configuration of the gear, the cost of rigging gear could more than double. Further, the cost of maintaining sinking groundlines is significantly more expensive than maintaining floating groundlines, increasing business expenses over the long-term.

The Bottom Line Project will help defray some of the initial costs for fishermen and provide an incentive to comply with whale rules. The program will begin in southern Maine, and expand throughout the state based on interest by lobstermen and availability of funding.

For more information about the Bottom Line Project, contact Laura Ludwig at the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation:

laura@gomlf.org
207-263-5300 cell

In the past couple years this program has been available to Massachusetts Lobstermen.  I’m not sure if the money congress has appropriated for this program is to go to all Gulf of Maine Lobstermen (which would include Gloucester lobstermen), or just State of Maine Lobstermen.  I have an email in to the person running the program and I’ll report back the results here.  If our lobstermen can participate also, it will be a huge cost savings for them.