Working Waterfront

Lobster industry is in ‘the fight of its life’

The outlook for Maine’s lobster industry for 2020, and likely beyond, is murky at best. That was the assessment by industry leaders during a panel discussion hosted June 24 by the Island Institute. See video of discussion here. Called “Let's Talk Lobster: Challenges and Opportunities of a Core Maine Industry,” the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

They name their boats after their daughters

By Tom Valleau No one can doubt that our commercial fishing industry is now suffering from a variety of problems, some long in the making and others quite recent. With each new development, Maine’s fishing prospects have grown smaller, going back to the establishment in 1984 of the Hague Line,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay Lines board votes on new diesel/electric Peaks boat

It’s bit more complicated than putting pontoons on a Prius, but hybrid diesel/electric ferries are on the horizon for both the Maine State Ferry Service and the Casco Bay Island Transit Authority, which operates Casco Bay Lines. The board of directors of the Casco Bay Island Transit District voted June… SEE MORE

A hybrid diesel-electric ferry prepared for launch to serve isalnds in British Columbia.

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay Lines board votes on new diesel/electric Peaks boat

By Tom Walsh The board of the Casco Bay Island Transit Authority, which operates Casco Bay Lines, voted 7-5 on June 25 to proceed with detail design for a new car ferry to service Peaks Island for the next 30 years. That new vessel will be equipped with a diesel/electric hybrid propulsion… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Second, larger cruise ship bound for Eastport

By Tom Walsh A second massive cruise ship—the 11-deck Norwegian Sun—may soon tie up within the Bay of Fundy at a temporary berth being offered by the Eastport Port Authority. On June 14, the 785-foot cruise ship Oceana Riviera arrived from Miami without passengers, staffed by 131 crew members who… SEE MORE

This image from the National Fisherman photo collection at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport shows men harvesting herring

Working Waterfront

The last sardine run—a childhood foretelling

Excerpted from Fighting Pollution and Climate Change: An EPA Veteran’s Guide, How to Join in Saving our Life on Planet Earth,by Richard W. Emory Jr.; www.fightingpollutionbook.com;BookLocker Publishing, December 2019 By Richard Emory Jr. At the sounding of the horn, some women—permanent residents of our little town—grabbed their sharpest knives and rushed out… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Coast offers climate mitigation potential

By Susie Arnold Determining Maine’s carbon budget is a key first step in meeting Gov. Janet Mill’s 2019 pledge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Recent estimates coming out of the Maine Climate Council point to an under-recognized asset in the quest to becoming “carbon neutral”—vegetated coastal ecosystems. Carbon neutrality… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Appreciate local food producers—especially now

By Sebastian Belle Times like this make one remember what really matters in life. They cause us to refocus on core values and reflect on the essentials: family, friends, and food. In an age of super stores and online shopping, food seems to magically appear with ease, and in huge… SEE MORE

The 785-foot-long cruise ship Ocean Rivieria arrived at Eastport's breakwater on Sunday

Working Waterfront

Oceania Riviera dwarfs tiny Eastport

Note: This story was updated June 16. By Tom Walsh//Photos by Leslie Bowman The June 14 arrival of the 785-foot cruise ship Oceania Riviera at its temporary berth on Eastport's downtown breakwater more than quadrupled the size of the Washington County city’s tallest buildings. "There are 131 souls aboard," said Chris Gardner, executive… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From fishing to farming—scallops (and goats)

For some fishermen, Maine’s aquaculture industry has been a thorny subject that includes concerns like navigational safety and environmental health. But as a third-generation fisherman, Marsden Brewer of Stonington sees the development of a new scallop farming sector as an opportunity for fishermen to diversify their income streams, maintain a… SEE MORE