After a year of providing fresh fish and shrimp to Maine area residents through Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs), the Midcoast Fishermen’s Cooperative and the Island Institute are now providing fresh seafood-shrimp in the winter and groundfish in the summer and fall-to dozens of needy residents of Rockland. The new program, called Share to Spare, began
New online resource available about Maine coastal access
Throughout the Maine coast, conflicts over access to and from the water are becoming more common, according to a press release. Now, people on the coast have a new resource to help them understand the legal background and tools available to address access concerns. Maine Sea Grant, in partnership with University of Maine Cooperative Extension,
Maine artist’s Obama dolls put her in the spotlight
Eastport artist, songwriter and musician Shana Barry was almost born on an island, Peaks Island to be exact. Then she was almost born on the Portland fireboat. But, she says, even though it was a windy March day in 1975 the fireboat “made it to Maine Med in Portland just in time.” Barry may not
Column: Venturing
It’s appropriate that this column appears only in Working Waterfront’s web edition; it’s about spending your and my tax dollars to beef up the nation’s economy by improving its infrastructure, and these days, a substantial amount of the beefing-up should be occurring in cyberspace-where the web edition of this newspaper resides. As some know, I’ve
Suspicions rise with lobster price
No sooner had the public become used to eating lobster because of the extraordinarily low price this past fall than it lost that gustatory pleasure when the price snapped up like a rubber band. In mid-January the price of lobster in the US and Canada doubled-went up $3- in 10 days. One day in that
Port Clyde fishermen test fishing gear that reduces bycatch
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) in collaboration with the Island institute and the Midcoast Fishermen’s Association (MFA) has just completed research confirming that fishing gear modifications by the MFA improve trawl selectivity and reduce the capture of non-commercial fish. “In 2007 fishermen from Port Clyde formed the MFA with a goal to restore
A place for elders on the island
It is a cold, sunny day, perhaps one of the last chances for elderly residents to emerge from their nest at the Island Commons before the coming winter. They shuffle into the Chebeague community hall with their coats and canes, appetites spiked for the monthly senior luncheon. The kitchen bustles with activity as ladies wearing
Green certification threatens independence of Maine lobstermen
This is in response to Nancy Griffin’s Working Waterfront article “Is ‘green’ certification an answer?” (November, 2008). As the daughter of a retired lobsterman who has spent over 50 years on the water, I’ve personally seen the rise, prosperity, and decline of the Maine lobster industry over the last 30 years. I felt disbelief and then concern
Maine Fishermen’s Forum highlights
The 34th annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum will be held on March 5, 6, and 7 at the Samoset Resort in Rockland. The following are sessions in which work has been done in collaboration with the Island Institute. For more information and the full schedule of sessions go to: http://www.mainefishermensforum.org/ “Economics 101-Marketing” On Thursday of the
Wind energy expands on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island’s provincial government in January put a hold on a plan to market wind energy to the New England states. In climbing the wind energy ladder, this blip is, according to the Island’s Minister of Environment, George Webster, a necessary measure in lieu of the U.S. economic crisis. Wind energy has made great