A Proposal for an Experiment in Finer Scale Management of Groundfish in Downeast Maine  

by Jim Wilson, Professor of Marine Science and Resource Economics

School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine

and 

Les Kaufman, Professor of Biology

Boston University Marine Program and Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology

 Groundfish management has had dire biological and social consequences throughout New England. In Downeast Maine the results have been especially dramatic. There are no boats ported east of Rockland currently fishing for groundfish. The once prosperous urchin fishery has been severely over-fished; scallops, herring and a variety of other fisheries that were once important components of the rural coastal economy are no longer viable. Only the lobster fishery remains. And both scientists and fishermen worry that its viability may be very fragile in a thoroughly eroded ecosystem.

In response to this situation, a collaboration of fishermen, scientists, local community activists and Maine State government has come together to develop a proposed experiment in finer scale management of the groundfishery. Very briefly, the idea is to conduct an experiment to test the ideas of localized – finer scale – stocks and the effectiveness of multi-scale management (for all practical purposes a more local level of participatory governance to complement existing, broader scale governance).  The area covered by the proposed experiment corresponds roughly to the extent of the Eastern Maine Coastal Current. This is an area that appears to be a reasonably coherent - but certainly not closed - ecological system.

Sometime this winter the collaboration will present its management proposal to the New England Fisheries Management Council. A scientific strategy for testing (and funding) the biological and social ideas behind the proposal is being developed and will accompany the submission to the Council.  The collaboration believes the proposal will lead to an important experiment in the linked oceanographic, biological and social foundations for the management of ocean fisheries. Scientists who are interested in the proposal and potential work with the collaboration are invited to contact Dr. James Wilson at Jwilson@maine.edu or Dr. Les Kaufman at lesk@bu.edu.