Articles
Recreational, working waterfronts clash in Surry shellfish bid
Note: This story contains some changes from a version posted last week. SURRY — A controversy over a proposed aquaculture lease in Morgan Bay has morphed into a debate over the state’s aquaculture application process. Opponents of the lease believe the Maine Department of Marine Resources isn’t properly taking local concerns into account when considering
Fuel-efficient lobster boat design moving forward
STONINGTON — Lobster boat designs were as different as the Maine harbors in which the boats floated in the early 20th century. But by mid-century, those competing designs blended into the easily recognized, now classic, modern Maine lobster boat, said Nathan Lipfert, senior curator for the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. The outer hull design
Maine coastal homeowners could be hit by LePage budget
A budget proposal released by the administration of Maine Governor Paul LePage would curtail two popular property tax relief programs while also ending the state’s revenue-sharing program with Maine municipalities. Under the proposal, Maine’s Homestead and so-called “Circuit Breaker” programs would tighten income restrictions and lower the maximum tax offsets for homeowners and renters who
Maine Shrimp Industry Braces for Short Season
In December, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced a 72 percent cut for the 2013 shrimping season, and Maine’s shrimping community is scrambling to adapt. The commission announced to set a quota of 625 metric tons, down from 2,400 metric tons in 2012, and stagger the season to start January 22 for trawlers and
Lobster-Processing Plant Purchase Holds Promise for Gouldsboro
The former Stinson cannery in Gouldsboro has become a symbol of economic frustration for many on the Schoodic Peninsula. After the last remaining sardine factory in the United States closed in 2010, it was bought by the Live Lobster Company and converted to a lobster processing facility with the backing of some $400,000 in public
Alewife Questions Abound in East Machias River
The St. Croix River in Washington County may host some of the most counted and studied alewives in the country. The controversy over whether to restore alewife access throughout the river has spawned multiple studies, and stakeholders have a plethora of data to crunch about the river’s alewife population. But just a few miles east
Chebeague Island Post Office Faces Cut in Hours
Chebeague Island residents are bracing for a cut in the schedule of their island’s post office. In September, island residents received a letter from the United States Postal Service asking residents to choose either to close the post office or to cut the post office’s hours back from an average of 7.3 hours a weekday
Invasive Seaweed Creeping Up Maine Coast
This summer, divers discovered invasive red seaweed in the waters off of Cape Elizabeth. The Asian seaweed, Heterosiphonia japonica, has been making its way up the coast since establishing itself in Rhode Island around 2009, and it has been causing problems for lobstermen and beachgoers along the way. There is concern among scientists that the
Guarded Optimism for Crescent Beach Land Negotiations
The State of Maine and the corporation that controls land that’s part of a beachfront state park in Cape Elizabeth are continuing to negotiate on a long-term deal to guarantee continued public access to the entirety of the park’s beachfront, according to officials close to the issue. Both sides say they are actively seeking to
State Proposes 10-year Scallop Plan
For Jonesport fisherman Preston Alley, it’s hard to count on the scallop season. Recently, the seasons have started out strong, but they soon peter out. “It’s getting hard to make something out of it,” Alley said. Many Maine scallopers are in the same boat, said Trisha De Graaf, resource management coordinator for the Maine Department