As part of the continuing battle against Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA), the Maine Department of Marine Resources has issued emergency rules restricting aquaculture vessel and service equipment movement into and out of Cobscook Bay. The new regulations went into effect on Aug. 21 and are in addition to those restrictions imposed in September, 2001. The
Coastal tourist season expands into fall
Time was, Maine’s tourism season pretty much ended with Labor Day Weekend. Vermont and New Hampshire claimed New England’s fall season for visitors traveling to see their brilliantly changing leaves. No longer. Now Maine’s tourism season is also spilling into fall – all up and down the coastline. “We took passengers out on the water
Schooner ROSEWAY awaits her fate
Ever dreamed of owning your own Grand Banks schooner? A Damariscotta bank is offering something different than you’d expect: the 137-foot former yacht ROSEWAY. First National Bank doesn’t name its price, but it foreclosed on a $215,000 loan to a previous owner. The wooden schooner’s brightwork still shines, and she retains her graceful lines. Built
LobSense
If you were the lobster czar and could prescribe any measure you choose to manage the resource, what would you do? Thanks to a new computer program developed by Rhode Island lobsterman Richard Allen, the opportunity for lobstermen to be armchair managers has arrived. Allen developed the program, called LobSense, with support from a Pew
Lobstering in “Gray Zone” now matter of dispute
It’s called the “Gray Zone,” and for a long time the name fit as far as lobstermen from Maine and Grand Manan were concerned. But this summer it all changed, and now it’s an area of sometimes heated dispute. Both the U.S. and Canadian governments have laid claim to the “Gray Zone,” a roughly oval-shaped
Demand for Irish moss is rising
Harvesting for Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), which 30 years ago and earlier was a seasonal occupation for some fishermen – historic photos in West Point show men using wooden wheelbarrows to bring it ashore to dry – has resurfaced as a potential source of income. FMC Corporation, located in Rockland, hoping to rebuild its Maine
Hard to Port (Hard to Starboard too)
I’ve decided to renew my offer to accept an appointment as Manager of the Maine State Ferry Service. A couple of years ago I first extended that offer to Governor King, suggesting I serve for nothing for one year. If, at the end of that year, the Governor were to determine that I had not
Foggy morning
(With a nod to E. A. Poe) Once upon a morning early, when the fog lay thick and pearly, I sat wond’ring whether Sam had opened up the store. While I sat there almost napping, suddenly there came a tapping. Who could come so early rapping, rapping at my fish house door? ‘Tis some early
The game for the coast
The controversy over shellfish aquaculture in the Bagaduce River fits into a much bigger story. This simple case of allocating scarce resources vs. sustainable development (or however one wishes to describe it) is part of a high-stakes game on the Maine coast in which the poker chips are people’s homes, the right to farm the
Island Communities: The real endangered resource
(Remarks delivered on Chebeague Island, July 16, 2002) I am honored to be asked to speak to you tonight about the future of island communities as you confront the stark circumstances of Chebeague’s future in the face of the recent revaluation. I believe you are right to be concerned for your future. Every islander knows