top of page
L A N D I N G S
NEWS & VIEWS FROM MAINE'S LOBSTERING COMMUNITY
In January 2013, the MLCA launched Landings, a monthly newspaper which balances
its content amongst science, history, resource sustainability, economic development,
and human interest stories. Through Landings, MLCA educates the public and lobster
industry stakeholders about the unique characteristics of Maine’s lobstering traditions,
its history and heritage, ongoing research to maintain the sustainability of the resource,
and its non-harmful and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices.
Distributing more than 6,500 copies of this 24+page publication free via mail each
month to all of Maine’s commercial lobstermen, state government agency staff, elected
state officials, Congressional delegation, subscribers, marine businesses; and to the
public at various locations around the state including ferry terminals, marine supply
stores and annual educational forums.
Court Rules Trackers on Federal Lobster Boats are Legal
In late November, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston rejected an argument that requiring electronic trackers on federal lobster boats was unconstitutional. The court found that the continuous tracking requirement for a closely regulated industry did not violate a lobsterman’s constitutional rights. The ruling upheld a lower court’s dismissal of the lawsuit brought against the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) in December 2024 by five lobstermen. Main
2 days ago2 min read
An Island Keeps Its Lights On
By Eva Murray Matinicus Island, roughly 20 miles south-southeast of Rockland, has a population number that is hard to pin down. “How many people live on the island?” is a common question, but answering with a tongue-in-cheek, “Oh, 100, I guess — plus or minus 75,” is pretty accurate. On some mid-winter nights, an islander can count the neighbors on fingers and toes. Matinicus Island. Photos by E. Murray. Matinicus is a lobstering community, and as such, depends upon one indu
2 days ago4 min read
U.S., Canada Lobster Research Focus of Recent Symposium
By Chris Brehme, Lobster Institute Project Director The inaugural North American Lobster Science Symposium was held November 5th and 6th at the University of Maine’s Wells Conference Center in Orono. The conference showcased how rapidly changing oceans are reshaping lobster biology, fisheries, and coastal communities—and how collaborative research is stepping up to meet the moment. A new initiative of the Lobster Institute, the conference was co-hosted by Maine Sea Grant and
2 days ago3 min read
Maine Seacoast Mission Continues Holiday Tradition
As it has for more than 100 years, the Maine Seacoast Mission will be providing holiday gifts to children, families, the elderly and others in Downeast Maine this month. Photo courtesy of Maine Seacoast Mission. The Maine Seacoast Mission works among the islands along the eastern coast and coastal communities of Downeast Maine. It provides health services via its vessel, the Sunbeam, to is a mainstay on the islands of Matinicus, Monhegan, Isle au Haut, Frenchboro, Swan’s Isla
2 days ago2 min read
Thanks to Our Generous Community
As we gather for holidays, all of us at the Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA) and our partners at the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the volunteers, donors, and supporters who make our work possible. This year offered so many reminders of the remarkable people who stand behind Maine’s lobstering communities. We are especially grateful to everyone who helped bring our first Tides and Traditions event to life in Stoningto
2 days ago2 min read
Women In Fisheries: Kathleen Reardon
Department of Marine Resources (DMR) lobster fishery biologist Kathleen Reardon thought about moving out to the Pacific Northwest after college. She had explored the northwest coast as part of her studies in the Williams College-Mystic Seaport program and was stunned by the area’s beauty. So as college came to an end, she packed her car with her few possessions and prepared to head west. But then she paused. “I realized I didn’t know anyone there and that I liked the northwes
2 days ago5 min read
Your Questions, Answered: Why Does the Ocean Freeze
But that wasn’t always the case. Maine’s bitter winter temperatures regularly caused the ocean to freeze, as early 1900’s photographs in the Penobscot Marine Museum collections illustrate. Large plates of sea ice would rise and fall with the tides, scouring coastal mud flats and the shore as they moved back and forth. Sometimes entire bays would freeze over as a result of long stretches of frigid weather, drawing people out onto the frozen ocean. People visited the Monument o
2 days ago2 min read
Steaming Ahead | December 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year defined by rapid changes, hard work, and the extraordinary resilience of Maine’s lobstering community. With a new administration in Washington, the policy landscape shifted dramatically, bringing new opportunities, new challenges, and a renewed urgency to stay engaged. Through it all, the MLA stood with you, working every day to protect the fishery and the livelihoods of the families who depend on it. M. Flemming ph
2 days ago4 min read
Introducing MLA Associate Director Chris Payne
Chris Payne likes to travel. He just doesn’t necessarily do it as most people do. He travels with his fins or on his feet. Payne, 44, who grew up in Bedford, Mass., began taking diving lessons at age 14. He and his father studied the sport together at the local pool. “I was obsessed with it,” he recalled. As a freshman at the University of New England (UNE) in Biddeford he passed his SCUBA diving certification that fall in murky 47o Maine water. Since then he has been diving
2 days ago2 min read
Maine Lobstermen's Association Updates | December 2025
MLA Directors Meeting Summary The MLA board of directors met on November 4 in Belfast. Chairman Jarod Bray opened the meeting by welcoming guests. In October Patrice McCarron represented the MLA at the ASMFC meeting in Delaware where the results of the new benchmark lobster stock assessment were presented and cuts to the menhaden quota were debated. The assessment concluded that lobster stock abundance is down 34% from peak levels; however, there are still plenty of lobsters
2 days ago6 min read
MLA Junior Harvester: Adin Alley
Adin Alley, 17, of Jonesport, recalls when he first started lobstering as a young child with his father Jason. “I remember the early morning, the sunrise. All the boats going out at the same time, like a fleet,” he said. Adin Alley Adin has been lobstering “ever since I could walk,” he said, as his father and grandfather did before him. He had his own boat when he was 10, an 18-foot Libby, and now fishes his 150 traps from a 22-foot outboard. “I set at the end of school, late
2 days ago2 min read
MLA Business Member Spotlight: Smithwick & Mariners
One of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association’s (MLA) long-standing business members is Smithwick & Mariners Insurance, now a division of Brown & Brown Insurance Services, one of the largest brokerages in the world. “That, coupled with deep, local knowledge and experience in the marine segment offer our clients the best combination of service and competitive rates,” Scott Smithwick said. For more than two decades, Smithwick & Mariners (now Brown & Brown) has offered a discount bo
2 days ago2 min read
Museum, Others Raising Money to Save Big Jim
The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport is leading a project to restore “Big Jim,” the 40-foot-tall Maine fisherman who has stood for decades in front of the former Stinson Cannery in Prospect Habor. In partnership with Bold Coast Seafood and the Gouldsboro Historical Society, the Museum plans to restore the roadside icon so that the story of Maine’s sardine industry and the generations who worked in it will never be forgotten. Big Jim was first installed in 1959 along Route
2 days ago2 min read
Registration open for 2026 U.S. - Canada Lobster Town Meeting
The Lobster Institute’s 21st annual U.S. – Canada Lobster Town Meeting will be held January 21-23, 2026, at the Delta Hotel in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. A complete program will be available next month, but preliminary agenda items include Fisheries Management in the U.S. and Canada; Science-Industry Collaborative Tagging Projects; Trade, Tariffs, and Traceability; Harvester and Shoreside Sector Updates. Sessions run all day on January 22 and until noon on January 23. A
2 days ago1 min read
To Your Health: Rest, relaxation crucial for continued health
It’s the end of the year. After fishing hard for months, your traps are in and the ropes are coiled. If someone asks you how you’re doing, it’s likely your answer will be “I’m tired.” Only with rest and sleep can your muscles recuperate from a long hard season. Wikipedia photo. And that’s to be expected. Lobstermen place their bodies and minds under a lot of stress, day in and day out. Muscles are called on to lift and turn and bend while bouncing around on the sea. Getting u
2 days ago3 min read
Coastal Program Planning Grants Applications Due January 5
Grants totaling $550,000 are available to support local or regional planning projects that prepare coastal communities and critical public infrastructure for future hazards and storms and to advance community resilience planning. The funding is available through two grants programs, the Shore and Harbor Planning Grant and the Coastal Community Grant, both supported by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) annual grant to Maine Coastal Progr
2 days ago2 min read
In the News | December 2025
Electronic tracker appeal fails The First District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the government being allowed to require electronic trackers on federally permitted lobster boats. The goal of having the trackers is to provide more detailed data to support a more accurate stock assessment of the lobster population. Last year, five lobstermen supported by the Sustainable Maine Fishing Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Marine Resources, arguing the c
2 days ago3 min read
bottom of page