Working Waterfront

Fishermen’s forum includes lobster check-up

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. In addition to the news that lobster fishermen’s landings totaled a record $500 million in 2015, there were several science updates at the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum that addressed common concerns about the fishery. Where do we stand with shell… SEE MORE

Shellfish aquaculture is a growing marine-based business.

Working Waterfront

Fishermen can diversify income, presenters say

Jon Rogers started lobstering in 1967 as a child, with his grandfather. He moved on to gillnetting, shrimping, bluefin fishing and swordfishing on Georges Bank, interspersed with lobster fishing. Still, he said, “I reached a point where I was looking to do something different.” When he heard about oyster and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine-farmed salmon upgraded to ‘good alternative’ at seafood show

By Catherine Schmitt In January, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the institution behind the authoritative Seafood Watch rating system, moved Maine-farmed Atlantic salmon out of the red and into the yellow list of “good alternatives.” According to Seafood Watch, the upgrade is primarily the result of “stringent operating permit mandates” that… SEE MORE

Waves break on the shore at Roque Bluffs

Working Waterfront

Portland proactive on immigration, Wiscasset to vote on traffic plan

Maine’s role in the major party nomination process has come and gone, with the Democrats picking Bernie Sanders and the Republican faithful choosing Ted Cruz. The GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who was endorsed by Gov. Paul LePage, had a predictably dismissive remark about Cruz’s victory, saying the Canadian-born Texas senator… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State must invest in a digital future

Journalists are taught to give readers a human face to the public issues they write about in their news stories. Sometimes, the reporter has to work at finding a “real person” who benefits from the tax cut or the sewer line extension. Other times, that person practically steps onto the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine’s fertile market, 7,000 miles away

One of the most fertile markets for Maine-made products is flourishing nearly 7,000 miles away. New prosperity and a growing middle class in China has created unprecedented demand for lobster and other Maine-made products. Local government and business leaders are working more aggressively than ever to market Maine products in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Stonington rejects one property purchase, approves another

At their town meeting on March 7, Stonington residents voted to reject a proposal to purchase the Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Home property on Thurlow’s Hill for $250,000. The property would have added about 25 parking spaces in town for the many tourists who flock to the area each summer. The proposal… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Changes in the ocean: seeing is believing

For many seeking elected office—particularly on the Republican side—endorsing the concept of man-induced “climate change” is a vote-killer. But panelists at a Thursday, March 3 session of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum seemed to step right over the politics to address what they are seeing on the water. And what they… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster catch: 121 million pounds, $500 million

Maine fishermen harvested 121 million pounds of lobster in 2015 that brought them more than $500 million in sales, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced Thursday, March 3. The value of the catch is an increase of $37 million over 2014, which itself set a new record. The lobster… SEE MORE

The working area in the new Maine Coast Sea Vegetables plant in Hancock is bright and spacious.

Working Waterfront

Seaweed processor expands in Hancock

Seaweed processor Maine Coast Sea Vegetables has made its long-anticipated move to a new energy-efficient, 1,800-square-foot building in Hancock. The new facility is just 12 miles from the company’s former home in Franklin, but light years beyond it in terms of size, accessibility and comfort, says owner Shep Erhart. The… SEE MORE