Articles
Flu Outbreak Thought to have Caused Seal Deaths
In a three-month span this fall, 146 seals have been found dead along New England shores and in the Gulf of Maine, more than three times the average. Wildlife officials have been scrambling to determine the cause for the recent mortality spike; NOAA has declared the rash of deaths an Unusual Mortality Event. Now, after
Northern Shrimp Quota Halved
The northern shrimp-fishing industry has experienced boom times recently, with high prices, a robust stock and few regulations. Judging by the new restrictions for the upcoming shrimping season, these good times appear to be over. On October 28, regulators with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission imposed new restrictions for the upcoming shrimping season, including
Seal Cove Shipwreck Mystery Probed
Some of the best mysteries begin as open secrets. Seal Cove residents have long known about the skeletal remains of a wooden schooner, even if national park officials don’t disclose its location officially. The hull of the ship is like a tidal phantom, only appearing at the water’s lowest ebb for a brief time before
Cranberry Youth Boat Launch Links Island to Boatbuilding History
Many a child comes back with arts and crafts from summer camp, but few can say his or her creation provides a link to a community’s history. On August 25, as a group of Cranberry Isles children launched a skiff they had built, they also helped reconnect the community to its boatbuilding legacy. For 10
New Rules Coming for Upcoming Shrimp Season
After two consecutive years of early closures of the northern shrimp season, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is poised to implement new rules for the upcoming season to stop the overharvest of shrimp in the Gulf of Maine. By November, shrimp fishermen will have some idea of the new rules they may have to
Escaped Salmon Discovered in Maine River
Is anyone missing some salmon? In September, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) found farmed salmon in monitoring traps along the Magaguadavic River in New Brunswick. Domesticated salmon are easy to tell apart from their wild brethren and conservationists are used to finding the occasional stray farmed salmon. “If we get one or two from time
Talk of Consolidation Stirs Emotions on Schoodic Peninsula
Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro, two municipalities that share the Schoodic peninsula, also share many services. There’s now one consolidated school on the peninsula, when there used to be two. All essential services, including police, fire and EMS, overlap and that trend has accelerated in the years since the nearby Navy base closed down. “When Winter
Hunger is a Reality on Mount Desert Island
Somewhere on the west side of Mount Desert Island, there is a mother who is trying everything possible to stretch her food budget, said Susan Buell, co-chair of the Westside Food Pantry in Southwest Harbor. In an interview for the pantry’s brochure, the mother said she sometimes feeds her children cereal three times a day
Salmon Farms Challenged in Nova Scotia
A coalition of Canadian conservation groups and fishing communities has appealed a ruling allowing two salmon aquaculture sites in St. Mary’s Bay. The coalition asks the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to overrule the provincial government’s approval of two new farms that can grow up to two million salmon in the bay, which is part of
Trip Reporting Goes Digital
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced in June that it will allow groundfishermen to submit vessel trip reports electronically. Previously, the trip reports, or VTRs, could only be submitted to government agencies via fax or mail. Both NOAA officials and Maine groundfishing stakeholders hope the move will streamline the reporting process and save