Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is a method of detecting and monitoring species by collecting their DNA from environmental samples like water, soil, or air. Ben Martens chats with Emily Pierce and Alex Ascher about their research into eDNA and the application of this emerging data collection process for Maine's fisheries. BLOG for more information https://www.mainecoastfishermen.org/post/podcast-the-opportunity-of-edna-for-maine-s-fisheries

Dr. Dave Reidmiller joins the podcast to discuss a recent study out of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution which found that the Gulf Stream is warming and weakening. Ben and Dave give an overview of the importance of the Gulf Stream, why a warming Gulf Stream is a weaker Gulf Stream, and what that could mean for the Gulf of Maine, the Atlantic Ocean, and the rest of the world. We also throw some cold water on the “Day After Tomorrow" scenario that some alarmist publications have suggested is happening. More Info at the MCFA Blog https://www.mainecoastfishermen.org/post/podcast-a-weakening-gulf-stream-with-david-reidmiller

Dr. Jamie Cournane of the New England Fishery Management Council joins Ben Martens to talk haddock. The most recent stock assessment indicates that fishermen need to cut their catch by over 80% as the biomass is lower than previously thought. Dr. Cournane walks us through the stock assessment process, what might have gone wrong, and what the future looks like for this important fishery.

Colleen Coogan of NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, joins Dock Talk to give an update on the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team's work to protect northern right whales. What's on the table? How is the Take Reducation Team determining "risk" to right whales? Who is ultimately making regulation decisions? And how can fishermen engage in the process? To learn more about this issue. Listen to our previous episode Dock Talk with Patrice McCarron of the Maine Lobstermen's Association.

Menhaden has been referred to as the "most important fish in the sea" in reference to its role as forage in the Atlantic. Its importance to Maine's working waterfront is much more nuanced as it's only recently returned to Maine waters but has already become of outsized importance as forage and bait in the Gulf of Maine. In this episode of Maine Coast Dock Talk, Ben Martens talks with Megan Ware of the Maine Department of Marine Resources to better understand what's happening with menhaden.

The Maine Lobstermen's Association's executive director Patrice McCarron joins Dock Talk to give an update on three lawsuits moving forward regarding the future of the commercial lobster fishery in Maine in response to a call to protect right whales. Right whales are a critically endangered species in the Atlantic and NOAA fisheries have started to develop and implement new rules and regulations to try and protect the whales from extintion. Environmental activists and fishing associations both have concerns about the process, and as such have filed three separate lawsuits in response to decisions that have been made and the data behind those decisions. Patrice gives a breakdown of where we are, and some of the concerns she has for the future of the Maine lobstering community

The New Bedford Light and ProPublica recently released a special report entitled "How Foreign Private Equity Hooked New England’s Fishing Industry" written by Will Sennott. Will Sennott joins MCFA's Ben Martens in this episode of Dock Talk to talk about his article and what it might mean for the future of New England's iconic groundfish fishery. Find a link to the article on the MCFA blog at www.mainecoastfishermen.org

Sarah Schumann is a 15+ year veteran of the Rhode Island and Alaska seafood industries as well as a passionate advocate for the ocean ecosystems that sustain wild fisheries. In this episode of Dock Talk, Ben Martens interviews Sarah about her latest project the "Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign."

In 2021, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries in partnership with Homarus Strategies began a one-year investigation into the issues and conflicts surrounding the integration of on-call fishing gear (another term for “ropeless”) technology in New England. MCFA's Ben Martens interviews Noah Oppenheim on the report and they dive into where the technology is, what fishermen are concerned about, and what the future looks like for implementation.

NOAA Fisheries Science Center recently released a story map titled the "Social Indicators of Gentrification Pressure" which explores how gentrification is affecting 29 fishing communities in the Northeast United States. Eight different Maine communities were highlighted in this work so we invited Matthew Cutler, PhD or Rose Jimenez, MA, MPhil to join us to chat about their work.

The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association has been working with scallop fishermen in the Gulf of Maine to pioneer an electronic monitoring program to collect data for the fishery. Learn more about this program and the work MCFA is doing to create a sustainable fishery for the next generation of Maine fishermen.