Lobstermen, regulators want deeper look at Searsport dredge
A report by federal fisheries regulators is prompting a new look at the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to dredge more than 900,000 cubic yards of material to clear a passage through Searsport Harbor.
The Maine Public Broadcasting Network reported that review of an environmental impact report for the plan revealed some of the predicted impacts of the dredge on shallow water habitats were not discussed.
Michael Johnson, the National Marine Fisheries Service biologist who reviewed the plan, told the station that the Army Corps now needs to come up with a more detailed plan for the dredge to enable oil tankers and other cargo ships to load and unload without waiting for the tides.
The station reported that the dredging plan is also creating concern in the lobster industry. Patrick Keliher, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, told the station he’s heard from various lobstermen who are worried the plan to dump the dredge’s 900,000 square feet of sediment at a site off Islesboro or Rockland could have an adverse impact on lobster movement.
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