Last year Speaker Hannah Pingree had sponsored LD 1231: An Act to Protect the Long-term Viability of Island Lobster Fishing Communitites, was passed into law. As the law was approved by the government the islands that will be eligible to participate include Chebeague, Cliff, the Cranberry Isles, Frenchboro, Great Diamond, Isle au Haut, Islesboro, Little Diamond, Long (Casco Bay), Matinicus, North Haven, Peaks, Swans, and Vinalhaven.
It is true fishing is the most sought after occupation on island. So when lobster zones B, D, and E adopted limited-entry in late 2000, island fishermen began voicing their concerns. As waiting lists for lobster licenses grew, islanders became concerned that the limit on licenses would prevent new families from moving to the islands.
According to Rob Snyder, Island Institute executive vice-president, fishermen from Frenchboro and Islesford again raised the subject. In December of 2008, Snyder and Hannah Pingree, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, held a meeting at the Island Institute with about 15 island zone council representatives. The legislators felt the strongest idea politically to emerge from those the fishermen suggested at the meeting was the bones of the island limited entry bill.
Synder said that it is really a pleasure to know that the authority put together a framework for a law that closely reflected their concerns and that left a number of detailed questions for them to examine with their constituents. This new program is surely going to work in progress. The complicated part will be determining the number of licenses needed to continue to support the community.
