Oct. 15 marked the end of the official public comment period on the New England Fisheries Management Council’s strategy to rebuild groundfish stocks. The council actually developed four alternative stock rebuilding strategies, and members took their show on the road to gather testimony from all over New England. Maine’s fishing community showed up in force
An ill wind for Nova Scotia fishermen
This was not what Nova Scotia fishermen needed right now – Hurricane Juan sweeping across the province destroying boats, gear and sheds. Ernest Fage, the Minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act, put the damage total at $100 million, and the province has promised $10 million in assistance. But the Garrison family in Sambro, about
Oil company has no “definite” plans for seismic exploration of Nova Scotia
Despite local press and media reports that that seismic testing is planned for the waters off Cape Breton and Sydney Bight in Nova Scotia, a company spokesman says there are no such plans. Such testing would be carried out to explore the possibility of oil and gas reserves. “We do not have any definite plans
In storms, York Harbor protects its own boats first
Hurricanes Isabel and Juan piqued the interest of York’s harbormaster, Gordon Parry, but neither storm inspired any action to protect the more than 300 pleasure and fishing boats in his care. “We have a loose emergency plan,” he says. “Nothing formal.” The fact is that York Harbor is very protected, totally landlocked except for the
New Directions: Compass Project teaches kids job and life skills
Ten students from King Middle School in Portland are immersed in their work, building half models of the SEGUIN tugboat. Their focus is complete as they sit on the floor or work at a card table, bent intently over the model pieces, making holes with power or hand drills or by using a mallet and
De-Industrializing the Penobscot
Last month’s news that the State of Maine, environmental organizations, a power company and two Maine Indian tribes had come up with a plan to remove two dams on the Penobscot River represented a shift in values and a re-alignment of priorities that’s worth watching. Like the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec that was removed
Vulnerability
It seldom seems so at the time, but it’s kind of refreshing to be reminded, occasionally, that the systems we rely on for our energy weren’t always there and don’t always function the way they’re supposed to. Last summer’s vast blackout on parts of the East Coast was an example of this vulnerability; so is
Power to the People!: How Maine islands stay connected
Long gone are the days when islanders needed only a little whale oil in their lamps of an evening and a big pile of wood for the stove. Most modern Maine island residents and businesses are as dependent on reliable electricity as their mainland counterparts. Islanders must run the water pumps to their wells, keep
Aquaculture supports 1,400 jobs in Maine
A new study by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center shows that fish and shellfish raising has become a $130 million business in Maine, supporting over 1,400 jobs. The study is the first detailed analysis of all three segments of Maine’s aquaculture industry – finfish, shellfish and baitfish farming. The study was conducted by Planning Decisions,
Canadians argue over the state of their cod stocks
Are Newfoundland cod stocks recovering? Fishermen claim that they are and cite new federal survey reports as evidence. A federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) scientist says that such optimism is premature and that the recent reports are “indices” not “assessments.” But Dave Decker, secretary-treasurer of the Fish Food and Allied Workers, counters that