Isle au Haut - Maine Marine Patrol has recovered the body of 72-year-old Thomas Kent Smith of Nova Scotia from the shore of Isle au Haut. Mr. Smith was sailing with two others, Robert and Sandra Comeau from New Hampshire, when their sailboat ran aground early this morning. The Comeaus called 911 at approximately 3am to report that they were stranded on shore near Cape Ann Ledge on the southern end Isle au Haut after their 40-foot sailboat began to break apart on the rocks.

State Allocation Fishery

Reported landings = 19,145,119 pounds

Percentage of quota landed = 78.4%

All 2025 data are extremely preliminary and subject to change without notice.

Proposed Issuance of Department of the Army Maine General Permits

Augusta – The Maine Coastal Program, a Division of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup. The Coastal Cleanup is a volunteer-driven initiative designed to clean debris from Maine’s coastal shores and waterfront communities.

Part of the International Coastal Cleanup, Maine’s Coastal Cleanup will run from September 6th to the 20th.

Milbridge - At approximately 11 a.m. today, the body of Alton Wallace, 51 of Milbridge was recovered by Maine Marine Patrol Officers from the western shore of Foster Island in Narraguagus Bay. Mr. Wallace had been missing since Sunday, May 18 when he failed to return from harvesting clams, prompting a search of the Bay and surrounding islands.

A meeting of the Sea Urchin Zone Council will be held on July 10th at 3:00 pm at Jeff’s Catering and Event Center at 15 Event Center Way, Brewer. DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson will be attending this meeting. Please plan to come to meet the new Commissioner and discuss the future of the urchin fishery.   

If you have any questions, please contact me at Jennifer.Harris@maine.gov or by phone at 207-458-9234. 

This notice is to inform you that the bottom trawl survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy (MeRA) Area, is now scheduled to run from the week of July 14th, 2025 through August 31st, 2025.

The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is holding a public hearing on the aquaculture proposal listed below:

The Commercial Fishing Safety Council will meet on Wednesday, June 18 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. remotely via Microsoft Teams. A link to join the meeting is below and an agenda for the meeting is attached to this notice.

West Boothbay Harbor – The Maine State Aquarium, located on the McKown Point Road in West Boothbay Harbor, is set to open its doors on June 11.

The Aquarium, a program of the Department of Marine Resources, re-opened last year after undergoing renovations to upgrade the interior with new exhibits and displays. “Last year’s grand reopening was a huge hit with over 26,000 visitors, and this year we have more to debut,” said Education Division Director Dottie Yunger.