The Downeast Initiative is a campaign to rebuild groundfish stocks in the eastern Gulf of Maine and create accountable, community-based management of that resource. The initiative seeks to restore the access – the legal ability – of eastern Maine fishermen to go groundfishing again. The initiative is working with other groups throughout New England to support area management of groundfish in order to make this possible.

Click to Enlarge The proposed Downeast Initiative area is shown in this map.

Groundfish stocks east of Penobscot Bay have been depleted, and are not rebuilding the way other stocks are; the initiative is a coalition of individuals and organizations – including the Penobscot East Resource Center – who have been working to bring focus to this fact. The initiative has also focused attention on the fact that one of the side-effects of recent groundfish legislation has been the loss of federal permits and Days at Sea for coastal fishermen in the area.

The Downeast Initiative is guided by three principles:

• To protect ecosystem structure and function, especially groundfish spawning areas, nursery ground and other critical habitats by controlling how, when and where fishing is conducted;
• To create healthy, resource-based communities through partnerships among fishermen, community members, managers and scientists;
• To support a diversified coastal fishery based on equitable access to resources, principle-based governance and sound science.

We share a common vision of healthy coastal communities built on sustainable resources.

The Downeast Initiative is a crucial first step toward implementing true ecosystem based management with shared stewardship of fisheries. This project can serve as a model for developing sustainable, resilient co-management of marine resources, not just in Downeast, but in all our resource-based communities.

For more information please contact Jim Wilson (207) 581-4368, Ted Hoskins (207) 374-2028 or Robin Alden at (207) 367-2708.