Legislature kills urchin bill; study group may still be formed

A bill to add more days to the sea urchin season has been killed by the legislature, leaving the sponsor of the measure, Rep. Ian Emery (R-Cutler), bitter about the legislative process. On June 9, the House voted to indefinitely postpone the bill by a vote of 73 to 70, and the Senate indefinitely postponed it in nonconcurrence between the two bodies by a vote of 19 to 15.

"Because of politics it died, and that's unfortunate," Emery says. "Fishermen around here really feel they've been abandoned by the state."

Emery's original bill would have increased the number of fishing days from 45 to 64 in the eastern zone next season and would have the legislature instead of the Department of Marine Resources set the season. A compromise amendment, which was favored by the Marine Resources Committee by a 11-2 vote, would have increased the number of fishing days from 45 to 55 in the eastern zone and from 10 to 15 in the western zone. It also would have established a study commission to look at urchin fishery management and report back to the legislature by next February.

According to Emery, Senator Dennis Damon (D-Hancock), the Senate chairman of the committee, who had voted in favor of the amended bill, reconsidered his support and sent out a joint order for only the formation of the study commission and not for the increase in the number of fishing days. Emery told Damon he would support the change if two Republican legislators were added to the study commission, so that it would be a bipartisan task force. However, both Emery's amended bill and the joint order ended up being killed. Emery blames Senator Damon for the bill's failure. Damon could not be reached for comment.

Emery also understands that DMR Deputy Commissioner David Etnier spoke to the Senate caucus and told them not to support the compromise measure. Etnier says that is not true. According to Etnier, Marine Resources Commissioner George Lapointe agreed to proceed with rulemaking to increase the number of days as proposed in the majority report from the committee, if the bill was enacted. However, Lapointe felt that from a biological perspective the measure was risky. According to Etnier, the Marine Resources Committee had also voted that, if the bill died in the legislature, the compromise agreement no longer would exist.

Emery understands that Governor John Baldacci may issue an executive order to form the task force for the study. Etnier says the DMR is considering the formation of the task force, and that could be done through the governor's office, although the proposal has not been brought to the governor yet. "It's probably a good time to look again at the issues," he comments.

Etnier hopes that Commissioner Lapointe will decide this week on a rulemaking proposal for the length of the season next year. The Sea Urchin Zone Council would then pick the open days for the fishery, with the DMR Advisory Council voting on the package after it has gone through the rulemaking process.