Markets & Economic Development Community Leadership Downeast Groundfish Initiative Hatchery Outreach and Education

In the tradional manner, the Honorable Hannah Pingree inaugurates the Penobscot East Permit Bank at a press conference where she celebrates "Access Guardian 1" the skiff that carries our initial permit.

The Permit Bank is a crucial step towards preserving future access to the fishery.

When the groundfish disappeared, fishing rights did too. The eastern Maine fishery had collapsed before start of the qualifying period for future allocation of fishing permits 1996-2006. Since there were no fish to catch in eastern Maine, no fishermen in this region has "catch history" and therefore none of the remaining fishermen would be allowed to fish in the future.

This decision was the final blow in a series of management decisions that completely eliminated fishing rights from eastern Maine.

 

These permits range in price depending on the size of the boat it was attached to, its catch history and the types of fish it was licensed for. Some permits are valued in the six figure range.

Senator Dennis S. Damon speaking at the Permit Bank press conference.

 

In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Maine chapter, we have started buying up remaining federal fishing permits to build a Permit Bank that will preserve legal access to the fishery by holding these rights in trust for the community in the future. The first permit was obtained from retiring MDI veteran fisherman Vic Levesque who wanted to create opportunity for young fishermen trying to enter the fishery.