PORTLAND, Maine — Two lobstermen had their licenses suspended for several years after being accused of violating marine resource laws, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday in a news release.
Calvin Pinkham, 55, of Steuben was charged in 2022 with stealing 59 lobster traps belonging to seven fishermen. Pinkham pleaded guilty to seven counts of trap molesting and was ordered to pay $8,732 in restitution, following a deal with the Washington County District Attorney, the DMR said. Pinkham's license has been suspended for three years and is scheduled to be reinstated in 2025.
Rodney Genthner, 38, of Friendship has been issued multiple summonses following a six-year investigation and was reportedly found in possession of traps belonging to other harvesters. He is also twice accused of being in possession of "V-notched lobsters," which the DMR describes as a "conservation measure intended to protect egg-bearing female lobsters."
A court date has not yet been set for the trap molesting violations, but Genthner reportedly faces up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, the release stated.
Genthner's license has been suspended for six years until 2029, and he faces fines of up to $8,400.
“Suspending someone’s license isn’t something I take lightly,” DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher said in the release. “It restricts their ability to earn a living, but so does stealing another harvester’s gear. These are serious crimes. And possessing V-notched lobsters undermines the conservation success that law-abiding harvesters have worked hard to achieve."
