The following press release is presented on behalf of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Augusta, ME - Alewife, a small Searun fish related to Atlantic herring, return to Maine in large numbers from April to late May every year.

“The alewife run is a harbinger of spring and gardeners will notice that alewives arrive in Maine’s rivers with the blooming of the shadbush (Amelanchier arborea), a native berry tree that grows all along the coast,” said Theo Willis, Ph.D., a Searun Fish Restoration Coordinator for DMR.

Yesterday, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) voted to repeal the gauge and vent size changes originally adopted in Addendum XXVII.

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At the Lobster Advisory Council (LAC) meeting held on April 28, 2025, LAC members discussed sending a lobster industry survey similar to one conducted by the Department in 2008.  The LAC unanimously voted to conduct another survey, and established a subcommittee to work with the Department.  The LAC subcommittee will be holding a remote meeting via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, May 8, 2025 to discuss the development of this survey.  The meeting information is below.

The following press release is being shared on behalf of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 30, 2025

PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703.842.079

A Sea Urchin Zone Council Meeting (SUZC) will be held Wednesday, 

Pursuant to 38 M.R.S. §480-D, sub-§9, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is required to provide the Maine Department of Environmental Protection with an assessment of the impacts on the fishing industry of proposed dredging operations. The Maine Port Authority, in cooperation with the City of Portland and the Maine Department of Transportation, is proposing to dredge around the International Marine Terminal pier face and bulkhead in order to remove sedimentation to improve berthing.

Maine’s coastline stretches for thousands of miles. Within that expanse are many intersecting and often competing activities and values. Mainers are deeply connected to the coast through livelihoods, cultural identities, family legacies, and deep appreciation for nature, wildlife, and wild spaces. But sometimes those connections to the coast can clash.