THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190332
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICTORIA BRETT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: PORTLAND, MAINE LENGTH: 58 lines
Fishermen along the eastern seaboard from Maine to Virginia made more money from their catch in 1995 than the year before.
But ``it's still a hard way to make a living,'' said urchin diver Jim Bolen of Friendship, Maine. ``It's getting scary enough that anyone else who has something to do should look at that to cover their butt.''
Despite the dramatic decline of New England groundfish and the Chesapeake Bay's eastern oyster, fishing revenues have increased overall, federal officials said Tuesday.
Revenues from commercial fisheries last year totaled $983 million, with Maine leading the 10-state region with $273.6 million, and Massachusetts following with $216.3 million, said Jon Gibson, spokesman for the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Every state in the region, with the exception of Rhode Island and New Jersey, showed increased revenues over the 1993-1995 period. Delaware fishermen brought in the least money at $9 million.
Virginia's revenue increasedthe most - 69 percent - from 1993 to 1995, thanks to the harvest of more than 752 million pounds of menhaden, an industrial fish used in fish meal and fish oil, Gibson said.
But Virginia - ranking third with $111.2 million in revenue - and surrounding states also suffered with the collapse of the pricey eastern oyster, found in the Chesapeake Bay. Revenue from oyster decreased by 84 percent since 1993 because of two oyster diseases, MSK and Dermo. Fishermen harvested 9.2 million pounds worth $35.9 million in 1993, and only 1.8 million pounds in 1995 worth $5.8 million dollars.
The total revenue for the area increased by 8 percent compared to 1994 and 11 percent over 1993.
Of all the fisheries, lobster was the money maker. New England harvested 66.1 million pounds of lobster in 1995 worth $206.6 million - a 29 percent increase since 1993.
``In terms of value, lobsters are what carry the industry,'' Gibson said.
Sea scallops followed with 17 million pounds for $89 million, and blue crab collected $75 million. Others topping the list were Atlantic salmon, menhaden, surfclam, northern quahog and sea urchin.
But there are still big problems for fishermen in this region.
In order to replenish stock, the federal government has offered to buy boats from fishermen who want to get out of the industry to decrease the groundfishing fleet. Strict new regulations limiting the days groundfishermen can actually fish also were enacted this year.
Federal and state regulations try to slow entry into fisheries to stretch or conserve resources by limiting new licenses, said Maine Marine Resources Deputy Commissioner Penn Estabrook.
``This industry is characterized as survivors,'' Estabrook said. ``They will do what they need to do to get by and bide their time and wait for things to come back.'' ILLUSTRATION: Virginia's revenue increased the most - 69% - from
1993 to 1995, thanks to the harvest of more than 752 million pounds
of menhaden. by CNB