Maine eyes new license for commercial halibut fishers
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers are close to creating a new class of license for the state’s commercial halibut fishermen. Atlantic halibut are large flatfish that are prized by seafood markets and restaurants. They’re often sold as steaks. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has said creating a license for halibut fishermen would help better manage the fishery. The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Marine Resources unanimously voted in favor of the creation of the license category on Tuesday.
Maine man leads police on wild pursuit that ends in crash
MINOT, Maine (AP) — A Maine man wanted for robbery rammed a state police cruiser and hit another car during a wild pursuit through Auburn that ended when his vehicle rolled over in Minot. Police say the driver refused to get out of the vehicle until police arrived with a dog on Monday. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. He’s charged with driving to endanger, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, refusing to submit to arrest and other infractions. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
Testing reveals high levels of lead in Lewiston schools
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — A first round of testing of water in Lewiston schools yielded high levels of lead in about a third of water sources. School officials restricted some water sources and made bottled water available Tuesday. All Maine schools are required by law to regularly test their water for lead, according to a 2019 bill. The remainder of Lewiston schools will be tested next week.
LOBSTER FISHING FUND
Lawmakers to decide on lobster support, legal defense funds
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A key legislative committee in Maine is set to consider a pair of proposals for helping the lobster industry cope with new fishing restrictions. One plan would create a $30 million fund to help fishermen adapt to the new rules, which are meant to protect a type of rare whale that’s vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear. The other would create a legal defense fund to help the lobster industry navigate the new rules, laws and regulations. Both proposals face potential votes before the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Marine Resources on Tuesday.
MAINE LOBSTER
Maine lobstermen had big year, set value record of $725M
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine regulators say the state’s lobster industry bounced back in 2021 and set a record $725 million for the total value of lobsters at the docks. That’s over $300 million more than 2020. The state’s lobster fishing business dipped in 2020, bringing in around $412 million. The per-pound price of lobster soared in 2021, and that contributed to the record high value. Regulators also say fishermen caught about 108 million pounds in 2021, the most since 2018. Still, the Maine lobster industry is grappling with new whale conservation rules, as well as volatile trade markets and uncertainty caused by warming oceans.
HEALTH CARE BILLS
Bills would lower drug prices, expand contraceptive coverage
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A pair of bills that would require state-regulated health care plans to cover a wider choice of prescription contraceptives and to match prescription prices to lower rates used in Canada. Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, and Sen. Ned Claxton, D-Auburn, unveiled the bills on Monday, a day before a committee hearing on the proposals. Jackson said the proposals aim to put patients first and to stop pharmaceutical companies from profiting on the backs of Mainers. Joining them at the event on Monday were Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, AARP Maine and Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care.
PENOBSCOT RIVER-SALMON
Atlantic salmon returns drop in critical Maine river
ORONO, Maine (AP) — Salmon counters have found fewer of the endangered fish in the Penobscot River in 2021 than in any year since 2016. Atlantic salmon are listed under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S., as the country’s only remaining wild populations of the fish are found in a few Maine rivers. The Penobscot River is vitally important to the future of the fish, and salmon returns there are watched closely. Only 561 salmon were counted in the Penobscot last year. The Bangor Daily News reports that was the lowest number since 2016, when 503 fish were found.
PORTLAND ART MUSEUM
Portland art museum fundraises for expansion, new building
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Portland Museum of Art has launched a campaign to raise $85 million for a project to accommodate a growing collection and increasing numbers of visitors. The Portland Press Herald reports the museum will either replace or significantly expand the building where the former Children’s Museum was located. The art museum bought that building in 2019. Museum director Mark Bessire said it was in a good financial position to grow. There is not yet a timeline for the project but a competition to select an architect will begin after the fundraising campaign launches.
LYME DISEASE-MAINE
More ticks test positive for Lyme disease in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The University of Maine’s tick lab found that a higher percentage of ticks tested positive for the pathogen that causes Lyme disease last year than the previous year. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab said recently that the rate of infection for Lyme disease grew by almost 6%. The 2021 rate was a little more than 42% while a year prior it was just under 37%. The lab says infection rates for anaplasma and babesia, which are other pathogens carried by ticks, also increased by a few percentage points.