Maine committee hears DMR plan to require seaweed harvester training
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Summary
Lawmakers and stakeholders debated LD 1991, a Department of Marine Resources bill that would authorize basic training and testing for seaweed (including rockweed) harvesters; the department and industry proponents said training will improve sustainable practices, while experienced harvesters urged careful content focused on morphology and local stewardship.
Senator Denise Tepler introduced LD 1991, a Department of Marine Resources bill that would authorize DMR to require an educational requirement for holders of seaweed harvesting licenses. The bill, as presented, gives DMR discretion to implement training for new licensees and renewals and allows for a rockweed endorsement to limit who must complete the course.
Deirdre Gilbert, DMR director of state marine policy, told the joint standing committee on marine resources the department has precedent for similar education requirements in other licenses and would work with the Seaweed Fisheries Advisory Council to develop course material and testing. "Completing a state developed training and passing an exam demonstrating an understanding of rockweed laws and regulations could give landowners more comfort in granting such permissions," Gilbert said, noting the department envisions online materials, booklets or short videos and a pass/fail exam.
Industry speakers, including Shep Earhart of Maine Sea Vegetables and the Maine Seaweed Council, described an open‑book online test of roughly 10–12 multiple‑choice questions drawn from downloadable source materials. Earhart said the test is "not an onerous task for the harvester" and that DMR already has systems to administer similar exams.
Proponents from newer harvesters and conservation groups gave practical examples of why training matters. Bree George of EcoSync Mariculture recounted a case where a patch of rockweed had been nearly stripped, and Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley of the Maine Rockweed Coalition presented photographic evidence and an online video of whole‑plant dredging in Cobscook Bay, arguing that both harvest technique and legal education are critical. Hadlock Seeley pointed to the 2019 Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling that rockweed is private property of upland owners and said harvesters need to understand landowner permission requirements.
Long‑time harvesters voiced both support for education and concern about content. Mark Hanson, who has harvested for five decades, said he favors education but warned the committee that rockweed morphology and slow growth mean that poorly designed or poorly timed harvesting can erase decades of habitat development.
Committee members asked whether the bill would authorize a course fee (Gilbert said the bill does not explicitly authorize a fee), whether existing license holders would be required to retrain (the bill is permissive; DMR could limit requirements to new licensees or include renewals), and how often retesting might be required (DMR suggested multi‑year intervals such as every five years if warranted).
The committee closed the public hearing and indicated staff would follow up with draft questions and materials in the work session. No formal committee action on LD 1991 was recorded at this hearing.