JUNEAU, Alaska — For Nicole Auth (née Bonney), a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Coast Guard, a career in boats and sailing was jumpstarted in the spring of freshman year at Mount Desert Island High School. She and a friend decided to go out for sailing, she said, “because we were bad at tennis and …
ELLSWORTH — A federal district court judge ruled last week that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to protect right whales adequately from the risks posed by lobster fishing. It is too early to know exactly how the ruling in a lawsuit brought by a group of …
GOULDSBORO — Powered by the engine from a gas wood splitter, two large, flat pieces of metal gradually move toward each other, collapsing the lobster trap between them. The machine, known as “lobster’s revenge,” crushes traps to a height of about 3 inches, so they can be stacked easily and take up much less space. …
ELLSWORTH — The coronavirus pandemic continues to have enormous impact on the U.S. economy, closing many businesses and costing millions of jobs. At least so far, many Downeast boatbuilders are still busy building new boats, but not all of them. On Monday, Pete Saladino, chief marketing officer for The Hinckley Co., offered an opaque description …
By Liz Graves and Sarah Hinckley MOUNT DESERT ISLAND — Lobstermen and sea farmers, and the buyers who work with them, are experimenting with new ways to buy and sell as the normal distribution systems have ground nearly to a halt and prices have taken a nosedive. Ron Doane is the manager of lobster dealer RDR in Trenton. The market disruptions have been tricky for everyone, …
CASTINE — Maine Maritime Academy’s May 2 commencement has been called off and the spring training cruise will not depart as scheduled as the academy takes precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus. In a statement issued last week, faculty explained the changes. “We know that you have questions about future plans and schedules …
ELLSWORTH — Yes, Virginia, there will be an elver season this year after all. Last Thursday, the Department of Marine Resources announced that the 2020 elver fishing season would open at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 30. Originally slated to open on Sunday, March 22, the season was delayed by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher because …
BAR HARBOR — In some ways, residents of unbridged island communities are ahead of the curve with the changes brought by the virus epidemic, since they already rely on remote and online connections for important services. But in other ways, they’re especially vulnerable. On March 13, the team of Maine Seacoast Mission staff that usually visits …
ELLSWORTH — Yes, Virginia, there will be an elver season this year after all. On Thursday, the Department of Marine Resources announced that the 2020 elver fishing season would open at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 30. Originally slated to open last Sunday, March 22, the season was delayed by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher because …
ROCKPORT — Lobster was the most valuable single seafood species harvested in the country between 2015 and 2018, according to NOAA, with Maine landings accounting for about 80 percent of that value in each of those years. So it’s not surprising that the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) invests a lot in lobster research. State scientists, in collaboration with …
ELLSWORTH – For decades, lobster has been the symbol of Maine’s fishing industry, but at the moment the microscopic coronavirus is taking center stage. As recently as Feb. 27, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state. By noon Wednesday, the CDC reported …
ELLSWORTH — Beginning Saturday, the Maine State Ferry Service will reduce its schedule because of a “significant” drop in riders and to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. The service reduction will remain in effect until further notice. According to a statement posted on its website Wednesday afternoon, like many ferry services across the …
