Working Waterfront

Penobscot Watershed Conference underscores region’s impact

On the map of Maine, Penobscot Bay lies at the midpoint of the coast. It resembles a fulcrum on which the northern and southern halves pivot. On the map of the Penobscot watershed, which was used throughout the venue that hosted Penobscot Watershed Conference on April 9, the image looms… SEE MORE

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Lobstering offshore becoming attractive to some

A booming lobster resource, combined with a trend toward larger boats with more horsepower and the latest advances in navigational electronics, has an increasing number of Maine’s lobster fishermen leaving behind the crowded inshore fishing grounds and heading further offshore for a sustained, year-round harvest. “It’s something that’s been evolving… SEE MORE

The southern half of the Penobscot watershed.

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Taking the long view means answering tough questions

“We will be the ancestors someday.” This truism came from Penobscot Nation tribal elder Butch Phillips as part of the welcome to over 300 people who attended the Penobscot Watershed Conference on April 9. The statement was a weighty one—when future generations look back, what will they learn from the… SEE MORE

With 90 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. imported from other countries

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Globalized seafood market clashes with sustainability

In his award-winning book The Mortal Sea, historian Jeffrey Bolster detailed the 19th century decline of Northwest Atlantic fisheries, a tragedy encouraged and hidden by expansion to new waters, and advances in harvesting and processing technology that kept markets overflowing with seafood. As Bolster described it, “The market masked the… SEE MORE

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Grants available for coastal towns

The state’s Maine Coastal Program is seeking applications for a new round of coastal grants for fiscal year 2017. The grants are for municipal and regional projects in Maine’s coastal zone. The two types of available grants are Coastal Communities Grants and Shore and Harbor Management Grants. Funding for these… SEE MORE

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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.

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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

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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

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On the record with… Ivy Frignoca, the Friends of Casco Bay’s new baykeeper

The Friends of Casco Bay began 2016 with a new baykeeper, a position the nonprofit has used for 25 years. Environmental lawyer Ivy Frignoca was hired last fall and got to work in January, a year after longtime baykeeper Joe Payne retired. The New Jersey-born Frignoca has lived in the… SEE MORE

The Penobscot River as seen from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Prospect.

Working Waterfront

Penobscot Watershed Conference: Sharing our Heritage, Challenges, and Future

As Maine’s largest river system, the Penobscot River carries a deep cultural and economic history of our region. The future health of this vast watershed will be discussed at the first Penobscot Watershed Conference, April 9, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Point Lookout in Northport. The event begins Friday evening, April 8,… SEE MORE