By: James Odlin, Newry Maine

My name is James Odlin, I reside in Newry Maine. I’ve been involved in the ground fish industry for the past 35 years; I was on the founding Board of Directors for the Portland Fish Exchange. I am currently on the New England Fisheries Management Council. I currently own three offshore ground fish draggers that fish out of Portland, Maine and also two other off shore vessels that fish out of New Bedford, Mass.

 I have been a loyal customer of the Portland Fish Exchange since the very first day it opened, some 20 years ago. My vessel’s the Harmony, Teresa Marie III and Teresa Marie IV are some of the last larger offshore boats that land most of their catch in Portland, Maine, we have done this in spite of all the incentives to leave the State of Maine, including the ability to land lobsters in Massachusetts, we have had to from time to time however land in Massachusetts when we have had our limit of lobsters, this can amount to several thousand dollars on a single trip.  

The fish prices are not any higher in Massachusetts and the fuel is not significantly cheaper in Massachusetts, the steaming time is not a factor for us either, the single biggest reason is the several thousand dollars worth of lobsters.

 I am here to testify, that we will, in all likelihood have to land all our fish in Massachusetts in the very near future and I am afraid if we do this it will be very likely the end of any offshore fisheries existing in the State of Maine. This fishery has existed here for hundreds of years. This to me is very unfortunate and unnecessary as no lobster conservation will be gained, I will repeat the lobsters get landed anyway. This legislation just allows lobsters that are being landed anyway in Massachusetts be landed in Maine. No increased effort will be exerted on the lobster resources and the State of Maine will get the fish and will get the lobsters.

 In spite, of what lobsterman will tell you this will amount to less than 1% of all the lobster landings and again the lobsters are being landed anyway, only in Massachusetts.  I am sure you will also hear things such as dragging damages the quality of the lobsters, any number of other things, like they drop their claws in the winter, in spite of the fact that lobsterman go lobstering in the winter, these are just not the facts.

 So I ask you to please see through the smoke and fog and look at the facts that these lobsters are being landed anyway in Massachusetts, the State of Maine loses the lobsters, the State of Maine loses the lobster bait that the fish generate if processed in Maine, the State of Maine loses all the revenue, the State of Maine loses all the jobs and the State of Maine stands to lose a whole industry.

 I truly do not want to permanently move my business to Massachusetts, please move this legislation out of this committee and on to the full House and Senate.