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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.
Alewives Annual Return A Statewide Success Story
By Melissa Waterman It’s the little things that matter. Take alewives, for example. These round-bellied little fish return to Maine rivers and streams each spring, packed full of oil and nutrients. Lobstermen eagerly await their arrival to use as fresh bait in the early summer. In fact, an array of hungry creatures wait for the alewives’ return, from bald eagles and eels to seals and ospreys. Steady efforts over the years have brought alewives back to Maine in increasing numb
May 283 min read
Island Health Care A Community Concern
By Eva Murray “Where do you give birth?” I was asked this question at this year’s Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, as I chatted with other attendees about medical care “out to sea.” Since the early 1960’s, the residents of Matinicus Island have given birth in the same place they go to attend high school, buy shoes or buy lobster traps, eat Thai food, replace the snow tires, or learn to do a hockey stop. They do it on the mainland. Does that surprise you? Nina Young was the last
May 285 min read
Guest Column: Coming Home—Now is the time to take a hard look at safety
By Brian Smith, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England It’s been a while since I last shared a column here in Landings. As gear hits the water and the June sun finally starts to show itself, there’s no better time to talk about what we all aim for: getting back to the pier at the end of the day. For the last 14 years, I’ve walked the docks from Seabrook, NH up to Southwest Harbor, ME. I’ve been in your wheelhouses, checked your bilges, and talked shop with many of you t
May 283 min read
Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Says "Show Us Your Bass!"
By Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association staff Black sea bass have long been visitors to the Gulf of Maine, but many fishermen say they have seen them more frequently in their traps over the last ten years. The formal surveys that track black sea bass populations are still playing catch-up, so it is hard to determine if that trend marks a population shift that eventually could sustain a fishery. Currently, Maine has access to only a fraction of the coastwide quota set by the Mi
May 282 min read
Your Questions, Answered: Is the Gulf of Maine getting colder?
By Melissa Waterman The Gulf of Maine has been recognized as one of the fastest-warming ocean regions on the planet, warming at a rate of 0.84°F per decade, nearly triple the global ocean average. Temperatures in the Gulf have consistently been 92% above average since 2010. Lobstermen and scientists, however, have noticed that during the past two years Gulf of Maine temperatures have been much cooler. What’s happening? Are the headlines wrong? It depends on how deep in the wa
May 282 min read
Steaming Ahead | June 2026
Spring in Maine — the six-month season. In my opinion spring is the most miserable season of them all. I know some of you say winter is for sure, but at least with winter you know what you’re getting. With spring it’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. It could be 35 degrees and sleeting or 60 degrees and sunshine. The latter doesn’t happen very often in spring, but when it does it is marvelous. Here in Downeast Maine it’s usually
May 284 min read
MLA Jr Harvester: Kylei Lampson
Kylei Lampson of South Addison was 5 years old when she started going out lobstering with her grandfather, Ernie Cirone. Kylei on her lobster boat, Papa's Shadow. Kylei was a quick learner. By the time she was 7 she was setting her own traps with her grandfather about his boat FV Cirone Tradition. Ernie, whose nickname is Papa, taught Kylei how to fish and, more importantly, how to stay safe while fishing. “Papa showed me all the importance of fishing traps, driving the boat,
May 281 min read
Maine Lobstermen's Association Update | June 2026
MLA Board Meeting Summary The MLA Board met on May 6. MLA Board chairman Sonny Beal welcomed Scott Smithwick who presented an update on the MLA Vessel Insurance program. Brown & Brown (formerly Smithwick & Mariners) has served as the MLA’s vessel insurance program broker since 1993. Great American served as the underwriter for several decades but the program transitioned to Travelers Insurance about five years ago. Travelers has been a great fit for the program, providing ext
May 2811 min read
To Your Health: Slather on the sunscreen before you leave the dock
By Melissa Waterman It’s the start of another Maine summer. The roars of lawn mowers echo throughout the land as sunshine-starved Mainers break out the grills and get ready to soak up some rays. This is exactly what you do not want to have happen to your skin. Cleveland Clinic photo. Lobstermen are always soaking up rays, of course. The sun beams down from above in summer and winter. Those rays then bounce up from the water’s surface into your face. A long day hauling can rea
May 283 min read
Women in Fisheries: Laura Hughes
By Melissa Waterman Laura Hughes is a bundle of energy and, after eight years as general manager of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, that energy shows no signs of flagging. On a warm May day, she shows a visitor around the co-op’s property on South Bristol harbor. Every inch of space is in use. The members’ trucks are parked tightly at the top of a steep hill. To the east is the refrigerated bait storage shed; below that a small shop, restaurant and office space. To the w
May 283 min read
In the News | June 2026
Red tide risk low in Gulf of Maine A low-to-moderate red tide bloom is projected for the Gulf of Maine this spring and summer, continuing the pattern of smaller blooms observed in the region for over a decade. The annual red tide forecast is based on data collected from the toxic algae Alexandrium’s dormant stage, when it exists as seed-like cysts in ocean sediments before growing into the swimming cells that can produce red tide in the spring. Big Jim returns In a barn in Be
May 283 min read
Tariffs, Fuel Costs Hike Trap Prices, Again
It takes a lot of metal to make a Maine lobster trap. With the advent of coated wire many decades ago, what once was largely made of wood became a cage of metal. Now, with a barrage of U.S tariffs on goods from around the world, the cost of that metal has increased. The cost of an average Maine lobster trap has skyrocketed as well. Costs again are rising for lobster traps. MLA Photo. The uptick in cost didn’t happen overnight. During President Trump’s first term in office, U.
May 13 min read
Lobstering is learned on the boat, not in the classroom.
By Richard Howland, MLA Vice-Chairman First published in the Bangor Daily News For generations, Maine’s identity has been tied to the water. Lobstermen heading out before sunrise. Sternmen learning how to haul and bait traps. Families whose livelihoods depend on tides and seasons. Lobstering is more than an industry, it’s a way of life passed down through hands-on experience, not textbooks. Richard Howland, MLA Vice-Chairman Today, that chain of knowledge is under real strain
May 13 min read
Seaweed Hits It Out of the Park
I remember having a conversation with Dale Haley of Oceanville Boatworks in Stonington back in early 2016. Dale and Oceanville partner Tim Staples had just launched the first finish project from their new shop, Rock Bottom, a 46’ Mussel Ridge for Stonington lobsterman Richard Larrabee Jr. The customer was happy and so were Dale and Tim, who had a bunch of repair/repower projects to tackle along with more prospective finish jobs. “We’ll do this for four or five years and see w
May 14 min read
USDA Announces New Office of Seafood
Maine lobstermen will soon have access to loan, marketing and insurance programs previously available only to farmers and other food producers through the newly created Office of Seafood in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The new office, announced by Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins in late April, officially recognizes fishermen and aquaculture producers as essential food providers. The new Office of Seafood in the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes that
May 12 min read
Women in Fisheries: Alison Gauvin, Marine Patrol Officer
For Marine Patrol Officer (MPO) Alison Gauvin, every day is a good day, as long as she is outdoors and on the water. The 31-year-old Whitefield native began her career in Marine Patrol four years ago and, to hear her tell, it’s a perfect fit. “My mother told me about Marine Patrol. I was in Boston, working as a personal trainer and I wanted to get home,” Gauvin explained. “I’ve always been athletic and I wanted to work outside.” Gauvin's learned a lot about tides and currents
May 13 min read
This Summer, Geary Brewing Co. Partners with Maine Lobster Community Alliance
Forty years ago, the first pint of Geary Brewing Company’s Original Pale Ale was poured at Three Dollar Deweys in Portland. The company made history that year as the state’s first craft brewery and the 13th licensed in the country post Prohibition. Today, Original Pale Ale still bears its distinct lobster logo and remains the industry standard. To celebrate this anniversary, Geary’s is turning that symbol into action through a partnership with the Maine Lobster Community Alli
May 12 min read
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