House moves to restore limited entry and licensing options in menhaden fishery

The Maine House on March 19 approved changes to licensing and required landings in the menhaden (pogies) fishery aimed at restoring access for fishermen who lost licenses under prior regulatory changes.

Members described a difficult tradeoff: the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recently cut the coastwide menhaden quota by about 20 percent, increasing pressure on limited allocations; proponents said the bill creates a careful, capped pathway that restores licenses for a small group of fishers and directs the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to develop a limited‑entry program to preserve sustainability.

Representative Tripsen Hepler (floor sponsor) said the bill “restores opportunity” for fishermen who were regulated out of the fishery and establishes a cap and structured approach to access. He and other supporters emphasized safeguards including a cap (target of about 350 licenses) and DMR rule‑making to manage entries.

Opponents warned that expanding eligibility while the coastwide quota shrank would force existing license holders to compete over a smaller share and could harm livelihoods in license‑dependent communities. A member using a pie analogy said ASMFC “reduced the overall size of the Atlantic Coastwide menhaden pie...by 20%” and cautioned that adding more fishermen would mean “more fishermen to compete for less fish.”

The House adopted the majority report as amended and passed the bill on a recorded vote, 79–63. Floor discussion indicated the Department of Marine Resources will be tasked with rule‑making authority to operationalize entry pathways and caps if enacted.

The bill will proceed to the Senate for further consideration.