Name: Jeff Frank
Title: Senior community development officer in Island Institute’s Center for Marine Economy
Focus: I lead the business support work for the Future of Fishing program. This initiative is designed to help Maine’s fishing families and coastal communities navigate the economic uncertainty facing the lobster industry.
My work focuses on creating new business support programs through partnerships with other organizations. These programs provide fishing families with practical tools, training, resources, and one-on-one advising to either help make lobstering more profitable or help fishermen explore additional sources of income. The programs we create in the Future of Fishing project are designed by fishermen and for fishermen so that they are the most useful and impactful as possible.
In this Photo: At the Maine Fishermen’s Forum on Feb. 28, I presented the official launch of the Institute’s Future of Fishing business support program. The Forum brings together fishermen, scientists, policymakers, and community leaders to discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities in Maine’s marine economy.
In this moment, I’m sharing how the Future of Fishing program will provide tailored business support to help fishermen explore new revenue streams and build resilience for the future. It was exciting to stand alongside industry partners, fellow Island Institute staff, and our key partner organizations whose collaboration makes this work possible.
