Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council Meeting Minutes
January 12, 2006
The Department of Marine Resources (DMR), Commercial Fishing Safety Council (CFSC) was held on January 12, 2006 at the Department of Human Services Central Offices Conference Room, 442 Civic Center Drive, Augusta. CFSC members attending this meeting included: L. Blair Pyne, Chairman, Robert Baines, Vice Chairman, Robert Odlin, Secretary, John McMillan, Jim Whitten, and Yvette Alexander. Council members that notified us of their absence were: Ann Backus, Carey Gregor, Kris Boehmer & Jim Simonitsch. DMR staff attending was Colonel Joseph Fessenden, Major John Fetterman, and Cathy Fetterman and representing the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Kevin Plowman.
Welcome
Chairman L. Blair Pyne called the meeting to order around 5:15 p.m. At that time Blair made the decision to step down as Chairman. Bob Baines continued to lead the meeting as vice-chair of the council.
There was a discussion on the term of the Officers. The term of an appointed member is 3 years, except if a vacancy of a member should occur before there term expires. The term of an officer on the council is every year. All elections should take place in September.
There were not enough members present for a Quorum – so it was decided to do a ballot for election of officers. The recommendation was made to include the following individuals on a ballot - in order to have the new officers in their new appointments for the next meeting on February 16, 2006
Recommendations:
Bob Baines – Chairman
Carey Gregor – Vice-Chairman
Rob Odlin – Secretary
Ballots received with a majority of the members voting – it was unanimously decided to elect the above individuals to the posts designated above.
The minutes from the October 27, 2005 will need to be reviewed and approved at the next council meeting – if there is a quorum.
Drill Conductors Course Discussion – along with Apprentice Course:
There was discussion on how the Council would deliver the training to the Apprentices.
K. Plowman stated he could send a list of vendors approved to do the training. He went on to say that the USCG can pull the certificate of an instructor if the course is not done properly. They have sat in on the courses, and there have been people that have not been renewed to teach the class. It doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally the regional exam center will ask us to sit in.
Get copies of the non-commercial lobster booklet to all Council members for their review – so they can see what kind of information is in the booklet and the test that accompanies it for non-commercial license holders.
J. Fetterman – there is also a Boating Basics book that might be helpful. It is for recreational boating safety. He also has training materials that were available when he attended the NASBLA in Oregon.
Gary Anderson: Felt it would be important to have an Instructor Assessment sheet
R. Odlin – What if in order to teach everyone must become certified.
K. Plowman– Review all the qualifications.
R. Baines – Once it is up and running – for our own satisfaction, an MPO sitting in on some of these and come up with an evaluation that an officer can use and turn in to us.
G. Anderson – It should be a step by step instruction.
G. Anderson – Nothing to guarantee that an MPO has had any experience doing this.
J. McMillan – If you go in and show 4 hours of videos – that is not teaching anything. I am not going to approve a class that lectures all the time.
G. Anderson – If these courses are never evaluated and it comes out in a hearing that the instructors and course were not evaluated – it won’t look well.
J. McMillan – It is USCG approved.
Gary – when instructor did job correctly and were evaluated.
R. Baines. Our best case scenario is for the safety program to be up and running next winter, and we would go through rule making over the summer and fall.
J. Fessenden stated we could get this up and running in April.
R. Baines – Let’s wait and see what type of feedback we get from the Forum.
J. Fessenden – Once we go to rule making after the Forum – there will need to be dates for Public Hearings and have it to the Advisory Council by May.
R. Baines – Maybe later on in the year we could have the rule making authority
Participation and Attendance at Council Meetings:
B. Pyne stated that we should be having council members who are willing to participate and attend the meetings. We have in the bylaws the removal of members if they do not attend three or more meetings without any notification.
Y. Alexander suggested that before we remove them from the council we may want to ask if they want to be removed from the council. It was suggested that an e-mail be sent to council members who have not attended or participated in awhile.
J. Fessenden – Ted Bear and Woody Post would like to be on the council and are both interested and would participate.
B. Baines – Elliot Thomas from the Advisory Council is also interested.
The discussion of removal of council members who are not participating and the ultimate removal should be discussed at the next meeting.
Discussion on Public Hearing of the Marine Resources Committee at the Legislature regarding the draft bill that was held in January.
B. Baines – Felt it went well. A few legislators might dig their heels in and have a problem with giving their power up. Work session is going to be held on February 6th at 10 a.m. on LD 1764.
J. Fessenden – Work session is more hands on.
R. Odlin stated he felt that for being around for a year, and showing that we will be having something come out of it the first year is a pretty good start.
R. Baines – Both chairs believe in our cause. Rep. Fletcher of the Marine Resource Committee suggested that he thinks after the rules have been finalized, the Committee would have an opportunity review them.
J. Fessenden –stated that Bob did a good job representing the Council and mentioned to the MRC that he would like to have more fishermen on the council.
R. Baines – Senator Damon did a good job introducing the bill. He got hit with 10-15 questions during the testimony period. I think they got the just of it at that point. We have a couple three opposing this.
J. Fessenden – One of the MRC stated that he would like us to come back to the committee for final approval and we can still move forward. It was also mentioned to the Council that by doing this it would have to wait for the Legislature to come back in to session, and that it would be delayed for 7 or 8 months.
Dive Tender Course update –
The course is now being offered February 23 & 24, 2006 in Ellsworth - with Rob Odlin willing to teach the class again. Mailings to all temporary license holders went out January 27th.
J. Fetterman – Was nervous about having the class without the text and test - f we held the class too early. That is why it was pushed back to later in February.
R. Odlin – season is over in March – so it is late now.
J. Whitten - Have the class Thursday and Friday. If they are mostly tenders it could be done.
R. Odlin –stated he was out of town until the 19th of February. February 23 and 24th would be fine to schedule at that time. Also let everyone know that this is a one-time only course and does not need to be renewed.
It will be held at the Hancock Learning Center in the Mill Mall on 23rd and 24th – February.
There was much discussion and several changes made to the Matrix – it was updated with changes reflective of what the council proposed. This is hoped to be finalized prior to attending the Fishermen’s Forum. Kevin Plowman was asked to review and make recommendations on what is required by the Feds.
The title of the Matrix was changed to:
Draft Safety Requirements for Maine State License Holders Engaged in Commercial Fishing
See attached update.
J. Fetterman stated that he and Ann had not gotten together yet to craft language for the safety requirements based on the matrix, but stated he would try to touch base with Ann to set up a time in which to do so.
Was not able to get through the remainder of the Agenda.
It was briefly mentioned, however, about the Lobster Plate Fund – A letter was drafted and forwarded along to Claire Grindle of the Lobster Research, Education and Development Board requesting that someone from the Council attend their next meeting and outline a request for funding for Education and Development of the Safety Component.
G. Anderson asked about the people that might not be able to attend February’s meeting –and how this might affect their status on the Council.
It was stated that as long as people attend on a regular basis, and if they should miss a meeting here or there, it certainly would not be grounds for removal of any council member. This will be discussed further at the next council meeting.
The meeting adjourned around 8:30 p.m. Next meeting is scheduled for February 16th at 5pm (DHS) – Primarily to discuss the Fisherman’s Forum.
