PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2024
Re: the recent Press Herald article discussing rockweed harvesting and conservation. Contrary to the claim that Seeley alone pushed for a conservation plan, it was actually the rockweed harvesting industry that proposed the development of the 2014 Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for rockweed to the state. The industry has consistently supported sustainable rockweed management and advocated for regulations outlined in the FMP, including sector management, harvest quotas and closed areas. However, the unresolved issue of intertidal ownership, prior to Maine Supreme Court’s 2019 Ross decision, and the resulting decision from the Ross case to privatize a marine organism, hindered the state’s ability to manage the fishery effectively. ~ Jake Patryn, Maine Rockweed Fisheries Alliance, Machias