MAINE MONITOR • January 13, 2024
Four charges brought against an Eastport man for illegally harvesting rockweed in Cobscook Bay were dismissed in Machias District Court on December 4. James Young had faced two charges of harvesting rockweed in closed conservation areas and two charges of theft for harvesting rockweed without the permission of the upland landowner. While the court charges that were dismissed could have resulted in license suspension and a $1,000 fine for each charge, Young’s license was suspended for a year by the commissioner of marine resources. The dismissal of the cases is not expected to affect the controversy over access to the intertidal zone for rockweed harvesting, and state officials say they will continue to enforce Maine’s rockweed harvesting laws.