Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit
Recreational Saltwater Permit Comes to Massachusetts – Register federally in 2010, but purchase state permit in 2011.
New federal law [Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization of 2006, Saltwater Angler Registry Final Rule – NOAA Fisheries] requires most saltwater recreational fishermen to be documented in 2010. Massachusetts fishermen will be required to register with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). However, recently enacted state law, “An Act Instituting Saltwater Fishing Licenses”, enables MarineFisheries to build and implement a permitting program for 2011 and beyond that will exempt the Commonwealth’s saltwater recreational anglers from the federal registry. The new state law triggers a transition from the federal registry in 2010 to the state’s marine recreational fishing permit program in 2011.
More information can be found here.
Posted on February 26th, 2010 by Administrator in Massachusetts
LORAN-C Terminated
LORAN-C has been Terminated – As a result of technological advancements during the last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), LORAN-C is no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation’s security interests, and is used by only a small segment of the population. Official notice is here.
Posted on February 26th, 2010 by Administrator in Massachusetts
Town of Ipswich Shellfish Constable
The Town of Ipswich has a job opening for Shellfish Constable.
TOWN OF IPSWICH
MASSACHUSETTS
DATE: August 19, 2009
FROM: Robert T. Markel 978-356-6609 VOICE
Town Manager 978-356-6616 FAX
Town Hall
25 Green St.
Ipswich, MA 01938
Shellfish Constable
Competitive salary and benefits. Shellfish Constable manages the department, enforces shellfish rules and regulations and reports to the Police Chief and Town Manager. Prefer Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences or related field and law enforcement experience. Constable is expected to lead the advancement of the shellfish industry in Ipswich. Applications deadline: September 9, 2009. Apply to Robert T. Markel, Town Manager, 25 Green Street, Ipswich, 01938, with resume and references. Complete job description available via fax or email. E-mail: TM@town.Ipswich.ma.us EEO/AA employer.
Posted on August 25th, 2009 by Administrator in North Shore
2009 Scholarship
The North Shore Harbormasters Association is proud to award its 2009 One-Thousand Dollar college scholarship to Mitchell Aylouche of Swampscott. Mitchell, son of Mounzer and Susan Aylouche, is a 2009 graduate of St. John’s Preparatory School. He will attend Maine Maritime Academy in the fall. The scholarship is presented annually to a student who pursues a marine related college curriculum and who has attained a superior high school record. Students eligible to compete for this highly competitive award come from all coastal communities comprising the North Shore Harbormasters Association membership extending from Winthrop to Salisbury. Pictured accepting the award are the recipient, Mitchell Aylouche, and presenters Marblehead Assistant Harbormaster Ray Gauthier, Chairman of the scholarship committee, Marblehead Harbormaster Charles Dalferro, scholarship committee member, and Swampscott Harbormaster Larry Bithell.
Posted on August 6th, 2009 by Administrator in North Shore
2009 Newly Certified Harbormasters
2009 Massachusetts Harbormaster Association North Shore Chapter certified harbormasters: David McAuliffe, Gabriele Mongiello, John Bell and Stephen Gagin.
The above harbormasters have successfully completed 351 hours of classroom and on the water training to become a Massachusetts certified Harbormaster.
Posted on June 18th, 2009 by Administrator in North Shore
2009 Scholarship Application
The North Shore Harbormasters Association is pleased to announce that again this year, it will be awarding a scholarship in the amount of $1,000.00. Due to the involvement of your community’s Harbormasters Department, a senior student is eligible for this Scholarship.
An Application form is included herewith. Please inform potential applicants among your graduating student body of the availability of this scholarship and kindly furnish interested individuals with copies of the Application. Please advise them that this scholarship is available only to students pursuing a program of higher education in Marine or Environmental related fields.
When applying, a completed Application along with an essay of no more than 500 words, a Financial Aid form when applicable, the student’s Grade Point Average and Class Rank (furnished by the school) should be submitted.
Deadline for receipt of Applications is May 15, 2000. Material should be mailed to:
Scholarship Committee
North Shore Harbormasters Association
c/o Ray Gauthier
24 Chandler Road
Salem, MA 01970
Posted on March 24th, 2009 by Administrator in North Shore
New training bill in place for harbormasters
By Times Staff – Gloucester Daily Times
Gloucester, Rockport and other communities begin the new year with new state guidelines regarding the standardized training and certification for municipal harbormasters.
The new law, signed into law this week by Gov. Deval Patrick, comes through a comprehensive bill shepherded through the Legislature by state State Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester. The measure, initially filed by Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, had been sought by numerous regional harbormasters’ associations in the state.
Tarr said he sees many benefits for coastal communities arising from the new law.
"Without the structure of this bill, harbormasters have been doing their best to create training programs on their own," Tarr said. "Now they will have a reliable structure and a common platform to depend on for effective training."
Tarr said he had convened several meetings of interested parties at the State House over the past two years in order to develop consensus around the proper mechanisms to finance and govern harbormaster training, which is required for certification under state law.
Tarr noted that, while those affected by the bill were in agreement as to its necessity, regional differences needed to be reorganized.
"Solid teamwork between legislators and harbormasters will mean that the municipal personnel on the water will be efficient and effective, and the boating public and commercial fishermen will be better served," Tarr said.
Elements of the bill include establishing a training council consisting of representatives of each region of the state to design and approve training programs; creating a fund to receive and administer state and federal grants and fees assessed to cover the cost of training; and establishing a requirement that all harbormasters receive the approved training developed by the council.
"By doing this cooperatively, harbormaster training can be far more cost effective," Tarr said.
The measure drew support from Rockport Harbormasters Scott Story and Rosemary Lesch, Gloucester Harbormaster Jim Caulkett, and the North Shore Harbormasters Association.
"We are extremely excited that the bill has passed," Lesch said. "Thanks to all of the legislators and the entire Massachusetts Harbormaster Association for the hard work and dedication directed to the importance of this bill.
"It has been many years of hard work and continuation of efforts to keep training going without the backing of a training bill."
"The harbormasters from the three chapters — North and South Shore, Cape & Islands — all worked hard and committed their experience and dedication to seeing this law enacted," Caulkett added. "(It will) benefit all current and future harbormasters."
Tarr and Hedlund also thanked House colleagues Brad Hill, R-Ipswich, and Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, for their role in advancing the bill through the House of Representatives.
Similarly, they expressed appreciation to Patrick, whose signature, they said, "reflects his understanding of the importance of this legislation to coastal communities."
Posted on January 1st, 2009 by Administrator in North Shore
Harbormaster Training Certification Bill Passed
Congratulations to all who have worked so hard to get the Harbormaster Training Bill 509 passed – North Shore, South Shore, Cape & Islands and Anne Lynch and Associates. The bill was signed on December 23, 2008.
Senate Bill No. 509
House – No. 4791
The lengthy legal process that marina owners are required to go through when they want to dispose of an abandoned vessel in their yard is about to get shorter, easier and cheaper.
A bill easing the disposal of abandoned vessels, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, is slated to become law within the next week. The House of Representatives and Senate enacted the bill last Tuesday, and it has been sent to the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick for a signature.
Abandonment often occurs when the owner of a run-down vessel incurs a bill for storage that adds up to more than the boat’s worth. The vessel then takes up valuable real estate in the yard, which can cost the marina between $240 and $300 a month in rental fees.
“The thing is, that 50 years ago, maybe lots of boat yards had extra space where they could tuck a boat,” Peter Bent, owner of Brown’s Yacht Yard in Gloucester, said when the bill was proposed in November. “In today’s world with real estate and taxes, every square inch of land is valuable and that boat’s taking up valuable land. We turn people away for boat storage.”
The current process for disposing of a boat is mired in paperwork and legal fees. A marina operator is bound by law not to touch the boat until acquiring its title — which requires hiring a lawyer and filing a petition in Superior Court. The filing fee for a lawsuit is around $300 a boat, but Russ Vickers, owner of the Hawthorne Cove Marina in Salem, said that legal fees can top $1,500.
The lawsuits are handled in Superior Court, often moving slowly through the waterlogged case load in an overworked court.
With the new process, marina operators would be able to gain the title without a lawyer, simply by going through a notification process and a waiting period. If a dispute ensued between the vessel owner and the marina, it could be handled at the district court level, which often makes the process more expedient.
“Local boat yards will now be able to regain valuable rental space that they were otherwise denied,” Verga said in a prepared statement.
If the marina chose to sell the boat, any money it would make above costs and outstanding bills on the boat would be held for two years for the vessel’s owner to claim. After the holding period, the money would go into a state trust fund administered by the department of Conservation and Recreation to be used solely for removing abandoned vessels.
To deal with the current laws, many boat yard owners simply turn away vessels that are in bad shape or look as though they are prime for abandonment — a tactic that takes a brisk business that could deliver another boat to pay rent on the spot.
