Articles
Group rallies to save Maine birding island
Three-hundred-acre Hog Island, long a Maine study center for serious birders, has been losing money for years and is on the brink of having new owners. But a dedicated group of birders called Friends of Hog Island hopes to raise enough money to keep it in Audubon hands. A deal seemed imminent until the Friends
An unlikely dream, RawFaith sinks with no loss of life
The strange and sad saga of a three-masted galleon came to an abrupt end on Dec. 8, 2010, when the RawFaith sank in 6,000 feet of water, 100 miles southeast of Nantucket. The owner-builder, George McKay, 53, was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, along with one crew member, before the vessel foundered. The
Audubon turning Hog Island over to Camp Kieve
A Muscongus Bay island, famous among birders, will likely have new owners, the National Audubon Society says. Hog Island, in the past host to legendary luminaries such as ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson and naturalist Rachel Carson, has been losing money for years and could change hands by the end of the year. Discussions between Audubon
A man for all islands
At 77, the Rev. Ted Hoskins isn’t sitting around. “I may get slowed down, but I don’t intend to slow down,” he said from his Blue Hill home. To most island residents and to many others along the coast, from fishermen to summer folk, Hoskins is a trusted friend and advisor. For many years he
Inactive Matinicus Rock weather station to be fixed
For years, Penobscot Bay fishermen and other boaters have relied on a government-run weather monitoring station at Matinicus Rock. It spewed out data available via Internet on any home computer, and many lobstermen checked it before heading out to sea or, depending on conditions, deciding to stay home. Last year, the station went off line.
Sectors: A new course for fishermen
What are fishing sectors all about? It’s about the government trying to give another management option to New England’s groundfish fishermen. This new management plan, taking effect in May, will allow commercial fishermen in defined “sectors” to decide on their own how to manage their catch which will be capped by a limit. The sector
Port Clyde family spans four generations who still fish
From a 92-year-old great-grandfather setting a few traps this year, to his 19-year-old great-granddaughter doing the same, the Anderson family is a living lobstering tradition in Port Clyde. The family not only passes down skills and lobster lore from one generation to the next, it hands down the boats as well, and younger hands keep
Nat Hussey sings and sterns on Matinicus Island
On a warm Saturday night you might hear some wild and crazy music down on the Matinicus Steamboat Wharf. There’s a crowd there, singing and dancing, and everybody knows each other. And they all know Nat Hussey, who has adapted to this remote Penobscot Bay island after a dozen years as a conventional lawyer on
Matinicus lobstermen seek island lobster zone
Matinicus lobstermen say they want to protect their local fishing rights with a restricted zone, but a legislative proposal to put that concept into law has run aground. The Legislative Council on October 15 rejected a bill submitted by Rep. Chuck Kruger, a Thomaston Democrat whose district includes Matinicus. The council met to decide which
Tenants Harbor lobstermen take part in trap density study
At first, Tenants Harbor fishermen resisted the idea of removing lobster traps from two fertile fishing grounds. But multiple meetings and a better understanding of the purpose of a trap density experiment led to what may be a revealing study, sponsors say. And even if the study isn’t helpful, the process of getting fishermen together