Working Waterfront

Maine oysters are the pearls of the prairie

[caption id="attachment_27697" align="alignnone" width="300"] John Herrigel, rear, on a boat with Erik Kleven and Jennifer Lester, owners of the Bleu Duck restaurant in Rochester, Minn.[/caption] Given the distances and costly logistics involved, it might be easier for The Bleu Duck restaurant in Rochester, Minn., to serve its customers Rocky Mountain… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

We’re stronger when we show up for each other

“Are we doing hugs?” she asked as she approached me with her eyes sparkling. It had been nearly four years since we had seen each other in person and now, here we were, on Rockland’s Main Street, trying to figure out how to greet each other in the new normal.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The richness of found fruit

When I was young, I had the privilege of growing up on 13 acres of secondary-growth forest in central Maine, between Farmington and Augusta. Our land had a stream and frog pond, a field full of wild strawberries, a thicket of blackberries, an apple tree whose fruit was always harder… SEE MORE

Ted Ames on the Stonington waterfront. PHOTO: PAUL MEADOW/MAINE CENTER FOR COASTAL FISHERIES

Working Waterfront

Ted Ames honored by Bowdoin

Lifelong fisherman and scientist Ted Ames was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Sciences by Bowdoin College on Aug. 14 at its delayed 2020 commencement. In presenting the degree, Dr. John Lichter, colleague and friend of Ames at Bowdoin, said that when groundfish stocks collapsed in the mid-1990s, Ames set out… SEE MORE

An artist's rendering of what the new Machias dike on Route 1 would look like.

Working Waterfront

Stakeholders find common vision for Machias dike

Revolutionary War-era patriots once captured a British sloop, the H.M.S. Margaretta, in Machias Bay, then sailed the vessel high up the Middle River, hiding it there near the abundant salt grasses which attracted settlers to Machias in the first place. Today, a dike and causeway span the point where the… SEE MORE

Artist's rendering of land-based portion of salmon farm proposed for Frenchman Bay.

Working Waterfront

Is Maine hosting the best aquaculture technology?

Maine’s coast is witnessing multiple plans for large aquaculture projects, including two new sites planned for Frenchman Bay, in addition to those in Belfast, Bucksport, and Jonesport. For some, the possibility of jobs and tax revenue from industrial-sized aquaculture is appealing. The success of these plans, however, is dependent upon… SEE MORE

The patrol vessel Endeavor is a new state-of-the-art addition to the Maine Marine Patrol fleet.

Working Waterfront

Marine Patrol adds new vessel

The Maine Marine Patrol has added a new state-of-the-art vessel to its fleet. The Endeavor, a 42-foot vessel with a Calvin Beal hull, was built by Farrin’s Boat Shop in Walpole and launched recently in South Bristol. She will be home ported in West Boothbay. “The crew at Farrin’s has… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster Institute is hub for industry, science

[caption id="attachment_27491" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rick Wahle PHOTO: COURTESY LOBSTER INSTITUTE[/caption] Earlier this year, federal funding became available to study the interaction between the burgeoning offshore renewable energy industry and other ocean users in an area from the Gulf of Maine to waters off New York. It was an opportunity to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Feds limit lobstering to protect right whales

A long-anticipated ruling by the National Marine Fisheries Service aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale was issued Aug. 30. The ruling impacts Maine’s signature fishery on several fronts. The key components mean lobster fishermen with federal permits can no longer set traps using vertical buoy lines from… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The tenuousness of wild places

I'm writing this month's column poolside, a very unusual place for me to be. After not leaving the state for 18 months, Bill, Penrose, and I masked up, braved a transcontinental plane ride, and landed in San Diego in late June. After a few days of Mexican food, record shopping,… SEE MORE