Urchin harvest’s rough start leaves fishermen stinging

The season for harvesting sea urchins in Maine opened on Monday, October 3, and a total of 40 to 45 boats headed out to drag at dawn. When the boats returned with their loads for the day, there were six buyers waiting, who were offering $1.30 to $1.50 per pound. By the next day, there was only one buyer on the dock, offering to purchase only 50 totes, and the price had fallen to 80 cents per pound. A radio call alerted area fishermen to the bad news, and they left the urchin beds early and raced to the docks. If a bad market and lower prices were not disturbing enough, area captains faced the possibility of no market and dumping their day's work into the sea C it is illegal to hold urchins past the state-mandated restricted fishing days. By early afternoon, the lone Cambodian buyer had reached his quota, leaving the remaining fishermen with unsold merchandise. Phone calls were made and an urchin buyer was found in Machias. A caravan of pickup trucks bearing urchins left Lubec for Machias, detouring through Cutler because of the closing of Route 189.

Captain Mel Gallant, owner of the Red Baron out of Lubec, says, "It's crazy on what the market is doing. It's the worst year I have seen." He remembers the early days of the urchin fishery. He started at age 15 and was one of the first to drag for urchins in the area. In the early years, the boat would be loaded twice with about 50 totes each time, they would go to Kippy's for lunch, and they went back out for another load and still went home by 2 p.m.

Marine Patrol Warden Russell Wright says, "It's a sluggish market. I think it's because there are not enough processors." There are currently eight processors in Portland and one more in Boston for the urchins, which are harvested for their eggs, destined mainly for the markets in Asia. A Cambodian buyer adds, "The urchins are not moving. The market is flooded with product. My buyer has not sold all of the urchins from opening day."

Another factor weighing on the success of the urchin harvest is fuel costs. "It's scary to fill up the boat. I can remember when $150 of gas would last all week. Now we fill up every other day for $150, a huge expense," says Gallant.

The captains of two boats in Lubec found a nasty surprise when reaching their boats, causing late starts on an already competitive day. Tanks were reported stolen from a boat moored at Johnson's Bay, during the first week of urchin season for divers. Divers can begin harvesting urchins one week earlier than boats with drags. On October 3, a large drag was found missing, taken during the night. Also, there were rumors that buyers, who drive up from Portland and then back, would start charging a surcharge for fuel to the fishermen. All in all, it's been a busy and sometimes difficult time for the hard-working fishermen of the Cobscook Bay area.

Also, the urchin season has been reduced as of last year to 45 fishing days in Maine, with only Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays being open days. Many fishermen feel they have to go out even in bad weather because of the restrictions. Several fishermen recounted injuries suffered last year, when they went out in bad weather, from gear flying around because of wind and high seas. There is also a concern about going out to the boats at mooring and back in to dock in small tenders when the weather is bad.

Finally, there have been rumors that boats from other areas, where urchins have been fished out, could be allowed to fish in this area, increasing competition and further depressing prices. "We had heard that the state could open up Zone 2 to boats from Zone 1 this year," reported one boat owner, who wished not to be named. "If that happens, it'll be the end of the line for the local guys."