Sell dragger-caught lobster bycatch in Maine? Legislators hear both sides.

On April 8, 2013, The Maine Legislature's Marine Resources Committee heard testimony from supporters and opponents of LD 1097 An Act To Allow the Sale of Incidentally Caught Lobsters  "This bill allows commercial fishing operators who take lobsters as bycatch from federal Lobster Management Area 3 to land the lobsters at a commercial exchange that auctions fish in the City of Portland..."   A similar bill lost in 2007 (media article) (See images of dragged lobsters from a trawl survey

AUDIO MP3s OF SPEAKERS AT PUBLIC HEARING ON LD 1097

Introduction  of LD 1097 by Senator Haskell_10min 33sec

DMR supporter Meredith Mendelson 8min 54sec

Public Testimony

David Cousens, MLA & QA 10 min 48sec

Jim Odlin, trawler captain 13 min 24 sec

William Gerenser (sp) 3min 24 sec

Allen Tracy, Vessel Services 3min 29 sec

Julie Eaton, Maine Lobster Union 1min 9 sec

Alison Jornal groundfisher 2min 40 sec

Robert Baines, Maine Lobster Advisory Council 3min 19sec

Kerry Alexander 5min 2sec

William Anderson 2min 35sec

Arnold Gamage 1min 44sec

Terry Jordan 3min 54sec

Lucas DeWill (capt Odlin boat) 38sec

Jerry Lehman 2min55sec

Sheila Dassatt DELA, 3min43sec

Jeffrey T. Peterson, Vinalhaven 1 minute

Elliott Thomas 12min 32 sec

Justine Simon 1min 48sec

Chris Cerber (sp) Owls Head  2min 7 sec

James Dow  3min

Justin Dyer, Vinalhaven 1min14sec

Diane Cowan 4min 6sec

Marty Uhlmann (sp) 3min 16sec

Ernest Burgess older fisherman 7min 7 sec

Daniel Wong 1min 42sec

Maggie Raymond Assoc Fisheries of Maine 5min 32sec

Don Billideau (sp)  2min 17sec

Robert Raye 2min

Magnus Lane 3min 24sec

Jessie Drinkwater 60sec

Jared Johnson ,Long Island ME  1min27sec

HEARING CONTINUED BUT WAS NOT RECORDED