Selectmen hear concerns about aquaculture leases and recent court ruling's effect on lobster fishing

Advocates and industry stakeholders presented competing views on aquaculture leasing and recent court decisions affecting the lobster industry.

At the May 2 meeting, Mark Gallaher of Protect Maine and other speakers urged the Selectmen to consider a moratorium on new aquaculture leases, citing concerns about the pace and scale of lease applications and referencing legal interpretations provided by attorneys in a white paper. Former DMR official Jon Lewis, who has worked in aquaculture policy, expressed worries about excessive lease applications; Rep. Genevieve McDonald, a member of the legislative Marine Resources Committee, offered clarifications about process and oversight.

Separately the board discussed a Sept. 8 ruling by Judge Boaseman in litigation involving the MLA and state agencies. TM Billings said the ruling brought the situation closer to making some fishing areas unusable and the board discussed industry responses including trap reductions and exploring ropeless gear technology, as well as coordinated public outreach.

The minutes record discussion and information sharing but no moratorium or town ordinance was adopted; TM said she had sent materials to town counsel for review and the board considered legal limits on town authority to regulate state-managed waterbeds and leases.

Selectmen thanked presenters and logged the materials for further consideration; subsequent steps in the minutes focused on legal review and coordination with neighboring towns on the peninsula.