Oyster farm application should be approved

My wife and I have owned property on Maquoit Bay for 23 years and we have used our sailboat in the summer months on the bay throughout that time. While we have not kept a count of the other boats and traffic on the bay, nor has anybody else as far as we know, we rarely see lobster buoys or lobster boats on the bay in the area proposed for oyster farming by Mere Point Oyster Company (MPOC). There has been a decrease in recent years. Maquoit Bay does not appear to be favored for lobstering or most other types of fishing. The assertion that the area is heavily used by lobstermen and is a major source of their income is not supported by our observations over the recent years.

The proponents of MPOC have responded to claims that their design will inhibit fishing and recreational use of the bay. They have designed their location to open about 12 acres in the middle of the proposed lease area to all forms of navigation and commercial fishing. I could navigate our 30 foot sloop in this area. Water skiing is popular in the area in front of and to the north of our property. It will not be changed or disturbed by the proposed system.

The Department of Marine Resources will make the decision on the application from MPOC for an aquaculture lease. The Department should be complimented for the conduct of the public hearings and the transparency of all relevant documents. To be approved by the Department, the proposed lease must not unreasonably interfere with seven, published criteria. Based on the information presented by the proponents and supporters of the proposal, including ours, there is convincing evidence that the proposal satisfies the criteria and should be approved.

Stephen F. Loebs,

Brunswick

We should welcome Mere Point Oyster Company’s proposal

For almost 20 years, Maquoit Bay has provided this fisherman with idyllic conditions for seeking the elusive striped bass and bluefish whether it be from shore, float, or boat. Both fly-fishing or spin-fishing are favored strategies.

The water quality, tidal circulation, shallowness, and eel grass beds make pursuing gamefish challenging and gratifying. Obviously, the scenic beauty of Maquoit Bay and the lack of boat traffic add to the overall angler’s experience and enjoyment.

One would think that lobstermen would be attracted to the bay as well, but this is not the case for most of their harvesting season. When traps and buoys do appear it is most likely during the molting season and they are set in the two major channels that allow north-south navigation in the upper bay area. The shedders find hiding places in the eel grass beds, but as their shells harden they seek cooler Casco Bay locations such as east and west of the Goose and Gosling Islands and southward toward Whaleboat Island.

Seining vessels seeking menhaden and OB-powered small boats used by clammers do frequent the Upper Bay, but the fact that these harvesters utilize nature’s bounty for economic purposes diminishes and, most likely, eliminates any ill feelings or protests by home owners abutting Maquoit Bay.

With regard to the recent controversy involving raising oysters in the bay, we should be thankful that this proposed activity will add another positive, natural way to harvest nature’s bounty and promote environmentally safe and ecologically sound economic opportunities.

The Friends of Casco Bay have done yeoman duty conducting scientific studies in recent years and have found that Maquoit Bay is one of the cleanest areas in Casco Bay and along the Maine Coast. Let’s take advantage of their findings and welcome the fledging Mere Point Oyster Company and its proposal to farm and harvest some of the best oysters on the East Coast.

No pun intended, taste one and you’ll be hooked.

Roger Tuveson,

Marblehead, Massachusetts