BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2026
I know firsthand the pressure our groundfish fleet faces. Recently, we were on the brink of a premature and unnecessary shutdown. Regulations to increase the haddock allowable catch by 50% were supposed to be implemented last May, but due to bureaucratic delays, those crucial fish remained off-limits. Despite months of assurances from NOAA Fisheries, the rule stalled. We reached out to her staff on a Tuesday morning; by Wednesday afternoon, the rule was published and our season was saved. ~ John Mitchell, Bass Harbor