Lobster Institute to Host Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting April 22
Contact: Cathy Billings, Lobster Institute, 207-581-2751
ORONO– The 2005 Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting, hosted by the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, will be held at the Delta Brunswick Hotel in Saint John, New Brunswick on Friday, April 22. The focus will be on the management of the lobster fishery, with a related topic being the economic impact of management decisions.
The discussions will cover licensing issues, seasons, quotas, v-notching and gauge size. “We will have a true ‘town meeting’ style format in the morning, where lobstermen will be asked to stand up and share their thoughts, concerns, questions, and experiences — what has been effective, what has been less effective, etc. Principal participation in this component of the meeting will be from industry people, fishermen, dealers, pound owners, and processors,” said Bonnie Spinazzola, executive director of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association from Candia, New Hampshire and chair of the event planning committee.
The event will conclude with a panel discussion. “We are putting together a geographically representative panel of resource managers, scientists and economists who will be able to address the various issues raised during the town meeting portion of the event, answer questions and discuss the pros and cons of suggestions and comments raised by the lobstermen,” Spinazzola adds.