I am writing in response to the recent Press Herald article discussing rockweed harvesting and conservation (“How rockweed harvesting got tied up in a lawsuit over public beach access,” Oct. 4), specifically the statement referencing Robin Hadlock Seeley and the Maine Rockweed Coalition’s efforts to promote a conservation plan.

Contrary to the claim that Seeley alone pushed for a conservation plan, it was actually the rockweed harvesting industry that proposed the development of the 2014 Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for rockweed to the state. This plan was developed collaboratively by industry, academia, conservation groups and the state, with meetings open to the public, which Seeley attended as a member of the public, not as a committee member.

The industry has consistently supported sustainable rockweed management and advocated for regulations outlined in the FMP, including sector management, harvest quotas and closed areas. However, the unresolved issue of intertidal ownership, prior to Maine Supreme Court’s 2019 Ross decision, and the resulting decision from the Ross case to privatize a marine organism, hindered the state’s ability to manage the fishery effectively.

Furthermore, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that rockweed harvesting is sustainable. Rockweed recovers quickly post-harvest, with no evidence that it grows back differently or has a long-term negative impact on habitat. The impact on organisms in the habitat has been shown to be either negligible or short-term.

For accurate information, I encourage the Press Herald to consult scientific experts who specialize in marine ecology and fisheries management, rather than relying solely on environmental activists or industry owners for scientific insight.

Jake Patryn
Representative, Maine Rockweed Fisheries Alliance
Machias