This legislation shifts decision-making authority from State officials to local lobstermen who know and depend on the resource. A revolving loan fund was established to help fishermen and coastal communities adjust to the change in their economic livelihood, and to provide economic research and technical assistance for new businesses. Maine has also invested state funds, along with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Labor, to retrain dislocated fishermen. The Land and Water Resources Council established a marine policy working group in 1992 to coordinate state agency actions on marine issues. The State published its first intertidal habitat classification in 1993 in order to provide a framework for discussing these issues.
Initial findings indicate a strong correlation between the type of habitat and fish communities.
Maine is a member of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment - an international organization of states and Canadian provinces dedicated to improving the environmental health of the Gulf of Maine. The State manages exclusive use of submerged lands through a leasing program. The leases carry a fee and are limited to specific uses over a certain time period. The study also began an analysis of possible ocean disposal sites that could be developed to meet these needs. Strategic Plan Goals Maine will have a healthy and productive marine ecosystem where management of the marine resources is based on an increased understanding of the Gulf of Maine.