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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.
Governor-Elect Janet Mills On Maine's Seafood and Fishing Industries
On October 4, the Maine Seafood Industry Gubernatorial Forum took place at the Strand Theatre in Rockland. The two-hour public event was hosted by the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Maine Lobster Dealers Association, Maine Lobstering Union, the Alewife Harvesters of Maine and the Maine Aquaculture Association. The moderator was seafood journalist James Wright from the Global Aquaculture Association. The following is an edited acco
Dec 4, 20187 min read
Guest Column: Marketing Initiatives Promote Maine Lobster Overseas
Although lobster sales to the industry’s major markets outside North America have taken a hit in 2018, the industry remains resilient. Lobster dealers continue to diversify into new markets and to seize new marketing opportunities. First, seafood companies faced a loss in sales to the European Union (EU) resulting from provisional implementation of CETA (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU) in 2017, which gave Canadian lobster exporters pr
Nov 16, 20183 min read
Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum: Krista Tripp
Krista Tripp grew up and still lives in Spruce Head, Maine. She recently received her lobster license after spending 12 years on the Zone D lobster license waiting list while working as a sternman for other lobstermen. This interview was recorded in March 2018 at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Krista Tripp was interviewed by Matt Frassica with help from student intern Teagan White. This interview was edited by intern Kaitlyn Clark. I’ve worked on boats basically my whole life a
Nov 8, 20185 min read
Oct 24, 20180 min read
Guest Column: Working waterfronts hold many roles in the state
In the early 2000s, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) submitted a report to the Maine State Planning Office’s Coastal Program called “Preserving Commercial Fishing Access: A Study of Working Waterfronts in 25 Maine Communities.” The investigators surveyed 25 coastal communities and created a “vulnerability matrix” to rate these communities. The higher the score (i.e., 6 or 7 rather than a 2 or 3), the more vulnerable the community to losing that waterfront. The highest-rated to
Oct 22, 20183 min read
James Knott, Riverdale Mills Founder, Passes Away
James Milne Knott, founder of Riverdale Mills Corporation, passed away on August 16 at the age of 88.Knott was born in 1929 in Brighton, Massachusetts. He starred as a high school wrestler at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, studied mechanical engineering at Northeastern University, and earned an economics degree from Harvard College in 1954. He then served three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army where he earned the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service. Upon
Oct 4, 20182 min read
People of the Coast: Sarah Redmond, Gouldsboro
For Sarah Redmond, 38, seaweed is a passion. During her childhood in Litchfield, Maine, Redmond grew fond of gardening. Her family spent summers camping on Hermit Island near Bath and at other sites along the coast, and that’s where Redmond first encountered Maine’s diverse species of seaweeds. ”Something really drew me,” she recollected. In high school, it became clear to the enterprising student what she wanted to become. “I wanted to be a seaweed farmer,” Redmond said. And
Sep 30, 20184 min read
To A Young Lobsterman, Changing Fishery Is Just A Fact Of Life
Jarod Bray, 34, is a matter-of-fact man. He and his father, Joe Bray, fish the waters around Matinicus Island, as both his grandfathers did before him. He began lobstering when he was 16 and slowly built up his business, buying increasingly larger boats until he was able to purchase his current 42-foot Young Brothers boat Volition. He fishes hard, staying inshore in the summer and moving offshore in the fall and winter months. Bray treats the regulations imposed on Maine lobs
Sep 22, 20183 min read
Guest Column: Public needs way to better understand fishermen's lives
In early 2012, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” Compass. This digital report...
Aug 10, 20183 min read
People of the Coast: Mary Coombs, Bailey Island
Mary Coombs, 46, is a Bailey Island native and the longtime manager of Cook’s Lobster and Ale House. Casual, friendly and down-to-earth is how family members and fishermen alike describe her, a bubbly and animated person whose facial expressions convey what she’s thinking. Coombs is a passionate and dedicated volunteer, especially when it comes to supporting fishermen and fishermen’s organizations in her community and beyond. Her brother Herman is a lobsterman and member of t
Aug 7, 20183 min read
Young Lobstermen Weigh In on 20 Years of Whale Regulations
It’s been twenty years since whale protection measures were put in place for Maine lobstermen through the Atlantic Large Whale Take...
Aug 6, 20183 min read
Guest Column: Working waterfronts are more than just a space
There’s an old Brazilian tale that goes something like this: A fisherman and a businessman are talking in a small village. The businessman asks the fisherman about his day and the fisherman says in the morning he goes fishing, in the afternoon he spends time with his children, and in the evening, he eats supper with his wife and then joins his friends for a drink. The businessman tells the fisherman that he has a Ph.D. in business and that the fisherman should fish longer day
Jun 18, 20183 min read
Jun 8, 20180 min read
Steaming Ahead: May 2018
The Portland Press Herald ran an article in late April about a significant influx of warm water entering the Gulf of Maine through the...
May 10, 20184 min read
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