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.
Women in Fisheries: Patrice McCarron
Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, does not shy away from hard work. Whether it’s long-distance running, Cross Fit training, or overseeing the MLA for nearly 26 years, McCarron commits herself to what she does without reservation. Her work ethic comes in part from her upbringing. “I grew up in Woburn (Massachusetts). Woburn was a blue-collar town. Everyone’s parents worked. I had a paper route as a kid, I bagged groceries when I was 14
Jan 75 min read
MLA Junior Harvester: Meadow Gilley
Meadow Gilley, 17, lobsters out of Southwest Harbor. The Mount Desert Island High School senior began lobstering with her father, Wayne Gilley, when she was a child then became increasingly involved on the boat as she grew older. “I have a student fishing license and will soon get my commercial fishing license,” Gilley said. “I own an 18-foot skiff, which I began fishing in 2020.” Gilley lobsters principally in the summer when she is out of school. Whether her season is a goo
Jan 72 min read
New Resiliency Center Planned for Port Clyde
Colby College completed the purchase of several properties in Port Clyde in November for the college’s new Center for Resilience and Economic Impact. The interdisciplinary research center, which aims to help Maine communities find innovative ways to adapt to climate change, will serve as a home for educational opportunities, outreach, and community building. The transaction includes the purchase of the Seaside Inn, The Barn, the Squid Ink building, and the site of the Port Cl
Jan 72 min read
In Memorium: Susan Jones
By Robin Alden, originally published in Working Waterfront. The Maine fishing industry lost a guiding light when Susan Jones passed away in early September in Stonington at the age of 78. Her leadership shaped Commercial Fisheries News for 40 years, from the early 1980s until her retirement in 2014, during which it was the paper of record for the New England fishing industry. Photo courtesy of the Jones family via Commercial Fisheries News. Susan built a team of writers, par
Jan 72 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
Dec 2, 20254 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
Dec 2, 20252 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
Dec 2, 20252 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
Dec 2, 20255 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
Dec 2, 20252 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
Dec 2, 20252 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
Dec 2, 20252 min read
MLA Junior Harvester: Tommy Werner
Most eleven-year-old boys lead a full life. There’s going to school, homework, chores around the house, hockey practice in the winter, and of course, hanging out with friends. For Tommy Werner of Cape Elizabeth, his busy schedule includes tending his ten lobster traps on Peaks Island with his father, Thom Werner. Tommy Werner. Tommy learned to lobster from Thom, a Cape Elizabeth lobsterman who owns and operates the Island Lobster Co. restaurant with his wife, Peaks Island nat
Nov 6, 20252 min read
MLA Business Member Spotlight: Hews Company
Hews Company, LLC has been in business for a long time. “It will be our 100th year in 2027,” said Katy Hews, director of marketing for the family-owned business. The company is a distributor of truck-mounted equipment throughout New England and manufacturer of custom truck bodies, with facilities in South Portland and Bow, New Hampshire. Hews custom truck bodies are used throughout the Maine coast. Hews Co. photo. It all started when Roland C. Hews traveled from Aroostook Cou
Nov 6, 20252 min read
Lobster Roll Remix Raises Funds for MLCA
Friends of Maine’s lobster fishery came together on National Lobster Day (September 25) for an incredible evening at the Lobster Roll Remix to benefit the Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA). Hosted by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, this event brought together visionary chefs who gave the iconic Maine lobster roll a global flavor twist — from Thai to Indian, Sichuan to Sicilian — and delighted guests with b
Nov 6, 20251 min read
Women in the Fisheries: Carli Stewart
Carli Stewart, 28, is a new mother, a fisherman’s daughter and a fisherman’s fiancé. She works as a content specialist at National Fisherman magazine, a position that she clearly enjoys. “I get to tell people’s stories,” she said enthusiastically. More specifically, she tells the stories of the lives of fishermen and their communities, from Alaska to Maryland, with the insight that comes from being part of a fishing community herself. Stewart grew up on Casco Bay’s Long Isla
Nov 5, 20252 min read
From The Archives: MLA Member Profile: Bob Williams, Stonington
Written by Nancy Griffin First published in the July 2014 issue of Landings Bob Williams has lived in Stonington for all but four days...
Oct 7, 20253 min read
From the Archive: MLA Membership Is a Tradition In One Family
By Shelley Wigglesworth First published in Landings, March, 2016. In their home port of Beals Island two young MLA members, both up and...
Oct 2, 20253 min read
Introducing Bold Coast Seafood
The famous Stinson Seafood sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor lives again. In mid-September a trio of lobster industry veterans — Curt...
Sep 26, 20253 min read
Women in Fisheries: Jenni Steele
The first word someone is likely to use to describe Jenni Steele is “energetic.” Steele, 59, owns and operates Island Fishing Gear and...
Sep 26, 20253 min read
MLA Junior Harvester Tommy Dube
Tommy Dube, 11, likes to fish, though it’s sometimes hard to get him to admit it. But his actions speak louder than words. Dube has gone...
Sep 26, 20252 min read
bottom of page