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Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
When last year’s winter storms devastated the coast, Sam Belknap’s family wharf on Round Pond harbor in Bristol was saved by its concrete floor. The floor, which Belknap’s family poured years ago when they put in a seafood processing room, provided enough weight to keep most of the wharf from floating away.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
A new coalition is coming together to support Maine’s growing aquaculture industry, aiming to clear up misconceptions and highlight the economic and environmental benefits of seafood farming.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Island Institute, a Rockland nonprofit, launched an online electric boat toolkit to help marine business and coastal municipalities transition to electric marine propulsion and away from traditional diesel or gas motors.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
A marine scientist, a politician and a lobsterman walked onto a dock. Together, in frigid wind chill, they pulled experimental, ropeless lobstering gear from the water — gear that most lobstermen loathe. The Maine Department of Marine Resources held its first public demonstration day last Tuesday, where anyone — in and out of the industry — could see how the gear, still being developed, might work. And for some lobstermen, it felt like the first time the state was listening.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under Blog.
At the beginning of the month, several Island Institute team members attended the National Working Waterfront Network Conference in San Diego. In addition to connecting with experts from across the country, they shared the groundbreaking work Island Institute is doing to keep Maine’s working waterfronts and marine economy ahead of the curve. We asked our team to reflect on the experience.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Walking along the fishermen’s co-op dock, Sam Belknap says it is a model for what the Maine coast must do to build resilience in the face of climate change. “This is the type of investment all wharves need to be making,” he explained. Belknap is director of coastal economy for the Island Institute of Rockland, a nonprofit organization that has been helping coastal areas with economic and community development for the past 40 years.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Nine months after damaging storms in January heavily impacted Maine’s coastal communities, recovery is still top of mind. The issue is being put back at the forefront for state legislators. In Bremen on Tuesday, Island Institute hosted a roundtable between leaders from Maine’s working waterfronts, Sen. Angus King, and Rep. Chellie Pingree.
Posted by Jack Sullivan & filed under Blog.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an award on October 17 to Island Institute for nearly $87,000 from its Rural Business Development Grant program. These funds will go towards supplementing the Tom Glenn Community Impact Fund’s revolving loan fund.
Posted by Renny Sabina & filed under Blog.
It seemed like a no more than a week would go by and we would be at it again; handling calls or emails from individuals, businesses, and communities about the critical challenges facing Maine’s iconic working waterfronts. We knew the themes well enough: skyrocketing real estate prices creating increased pressures to sell and uncertainty for… Read more »
