Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 S E P T E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 9 New markets for lobster eyed Food Export USA-Northeast said it will use more than $20 million in federal funding to help seafood suppliers tap into new markets, with a special focus on the lobster industry. e Philadelphia- based trade association unveiled the plan and new funding through the U.S.D.A's Agricultural Trade Promotion Program in a press release. It said the group will use a "significant portion" of the amount over the next few years to open new export markets for selected regional sup- pliers, educate importers and connect the industry to a broader range of interna- tional buyers. A special focus, the trade association said, will be on opening new markets for the American lobster indus- try, "which has been hardest hit by trade tensions between the U.S. and China." Whale protection plan rebuffed by industry group Maine Lobstermen's Association withdrew support from an agreement that calls for Northeast lobstermen to reduce their risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales by 60%. In a letter to Chris Oliver, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the associa- tion said it would withdraw support for the April 2019 Take Reduction Team agreement due to "serious flaws in the data," according to a news release. e risk reduction strategy included remov- ing half the number of lobster trap endlines in the water and using weak rope in the top of remaining endlines, which are the vertical lines that connect lobster traps on the ocean bottom with a buoy at the sea surface. e targets were established by the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, a feder- ally convened body of approximately 60 fishermen, scientists, conservationists, and state and federal officials. e team advises the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is the federal agency that would enact any regulations. But the Maine Lobstermen's Association said a new analysis raises doubt on the effectiveness of a right whale protec- tion agreement established by the team when it met in April. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $3.4 S T A T E W I D E An ongoing need for housing in Portland area A story from the Mainebiz issue of July 25, 2005, had an air of deja vu about it, with a twist. The story, "Debunking the bubble," weighed experts' opinion on whether the Portland market was overbuilt and decried the fact that Cumberland County's median home price was at $250,000. Well, in 2019, we are growing con- cerned about a possible recession in the future, but the median home price is closer to $343,950, and the debate has shifted away from whether it's overbuilt to whether we have enough housing, particularly affordable housing. We hear about the construction boom, but at least when it comes to housing it's not a bubble. SP ONSORED BY FUN FACT The Aug. 8, 2005, issue of Mainebiz reported that Gifford's Ice Cream produced 1.2 million gallons of ice cream. Today, it produces 1.7 mil- lion gallons of ice cream, and just released a New England Patriots-inspired ice cream, Dough the Right Thing. With the nation's largest network of dentists, get the right partner in dental benefits to make sure healthy smiles are the face of your healthy business. NortheastDeltaDental.com LET SMILES DO THE TALKING FOR YOUR BUSINESS WITH SMILE POWER! NEDD_1_2 PAGE_ MAINEBIZ_man.indd 1 8/19/19 8:05 AM

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