Working Waterfront

Nantucket as symbol of undesirable island fate

By Tom Groening A year ago, my wife and I returned to Nantucket to celebrate our 35th anniversary. It was our first time back since I began working at the Island Institute, and so it was with different eyes that I took in the beauty, the history, the wealth, and… SEE MORE

Eastport's rebuild breakwater shelters fishing boats.

Working Waterfront

New Eastport breakwater ready to welcome marine activity

By Jacqueline Weaver Finishing touches on the new $15 million breakwater in Eastport were due to be completed Nov. 1 with the installation of floats alongside a new pier that provides access to everything from cruise ships to fishing boats. Construction of the 100-foot-by-400-foot pier began following a catastrophic collapse of… SEE MORE

Rockweed landed at a boat yard in Hancock.

Working Waterfront

Compromise possible in rockweed harvesting lawsuit

By Merritt Carey, Sean Mahoney, Tim Glidden, and Shep Erhart Lawsuits have a tendency to box parties in; they don’t allow for the nuances, complexities, and compromises that make up the realities of life, particularly life on Maine’s working waterfront. A lawsuit filed by three landowners in Washington County in… SEE MORE

The 2017-2018 Island Fellow class; Ken Gross is at far left.

Working Waterfront

How to see Millinocket as an island

Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Millinocket is not an island. Henry David Thoreau, who visited here three times in the 1840s and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

‘Bungalow in a Box’ offers energy efficiency, ease of construction

Patricia Festino has built a number of houses in the course of her 77 years. The Chebeague Island resident knows the ins and outs of working with architects and carpenters, and the ups and downs of construction and design. Having worked hands-on on her homes, she also knows how a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster landings drop, but industry remains optimistic

Lobster landings fell off significantly this season compared with 2016. But 2016 was a record year, and some fishermen aren’t surprised to see a drop-off. They also believe the resource remains healthy. “It’s been a different year, for sure,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen's Association in… SEE MORE

The new pavilion at the Isle au Haut Cooperative Store

Working Waterfront

Update from Isle au Haut: store is thriving again

By Rachel Harris The board of directors of the Isle au Haut Cooperative Store wants readers to know about our latest community developments. We just completed our first year hosting the Lobster Lady food truck business, which served lunch on the store property. The arrangement benefited both businesses and, together,… SEE MORE

Randy Cushman explains the workings of his modified net.

Working Waterfront

Randy Cushman’s balancing act… with a net

Long-time Port Clyde fisherman Randy Cushman is getting good results with his experiments to reduce flounder bycatch by increasing the mesh size of his net. It’s a bit of a balancing act. He’s aiming to find the right mesh size that will decrease bycatch of juveniles but still retain marketable… SEE MORE

Will Calkins and Abby Proctor at King Tide Farm

Working Waterfront

King Tide Farm takes root on Vinalhaven

Abby Proctor greets her customers at the Vinalhaven flea market with a bright smile and a friendly demeanor. She is soft-spoken and easy-going as she makes change and describes her freshly made pesto. For now, Proctor, 25, is the reluctant face of King Tide Farm. "It's very intimidating to be… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

How Tasmania’s lobster fishery responded to algal blooms

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. What issue has the ability to close down a fishery overnight, during peak fishing season, with no idea when fishing can resume? That question was posed by Hilary Revill, manager of the rock lobster fishery for the state of Tasmania,… SEE MORE