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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.
New Approaches Benefit Maine's Lobster Co-ops
The coast of Maine is dotted with fishing cooperatives. They may be in small harbors with just ten or twenty members, or larger businesses with 80-plus fishermen involved. Each is run by its members, for its members, yet each approaches the task slightly differently. Landings continues its series examining how Maine’s fishing cooperatives operate and how they are coping with a constantly shifting economic and environmental landscape. It’s a familiar picture: a fleet of lobst
Feb 7, 20186 min read
MLA President to Step Down After 27 years
“I’ve burned out ten trucks going to meetings over the years. I was putting 40,000, 50,000 miles on them going to meetings all over the...
Feb 6, 20185 min read
New Director of GARFO Selected
Michael Pentony was appointed the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in January. Pentony has been with the agency since 2002, serving in a series of positions including as the Assistant Regional Administrator for the Sustainable Fisheries Division since 2014. He succeeds retiring Regional Administrator John Bullard, who had been in the position since 2012. In his new role, Pentony will head the agency’s regional office, wh
Feb 6, 20182 min read
"What Happens If...?" Special Health Insurance Enrollments Available For Life Changes
The new year is upon us and health insurance open enrollment is behind us. That means that if you did not enroll in a plan for 2018, you...
Jan 30, 20183 min read
People of the Coast: 15-year-old Beatrice Amuso, Islesford
Some years ago, Beatrice Amuso was sitting at the kitchen table with her father, Jim, an Islesford lobsterman, and her younger brother,...
Jan 27, 20181 min read
Changes Planned for Maine lobstermen's Association Leadership
Lobstermen are constantly aware of changes: a change in the sky hinting at storm, a change in the sound of the boat’s engine, a shift in...
Jan 22, 20185 min read
South Bristol Woman Makes True Gifts from the Sea
New Englanders are notoriously thrifty souls, known for saving string and bacon grease. It pains many a Mainer to throw out anything that might, someday, be put to good use. Tenley Seiders of South Bristol understands that notion well. She was working as a sternman with her husband, lobsterman John Seiders, one day about fifteen years ago and noticed once again that many lobsters had dropped a claw. “Those add up to lost pounds for the lobsterman and it diminishes the value o
Dec 11, 20173 min read
People of the Coast: The women of Jess's Seafood Market
It’s mid-November, a time when the tourists and summer residents have largely fled from the Maine coast. You would think that business...
Dec 10, 20171 min read
Maine Fishermen's Forum Scholarship Gives North Yarmouth Lobsterman New Opportunity
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum has awarded a total of $385,886 in scholarships since 1998 to students related to a person who is actively...
Dec 7, 20171 min read
Marine Patrol Says Farewell to Two Officers
Two Marine Patrol Officers with a combined 57 years of experience have recently left the Marine Patrol Bureau, but each takes with him...
Dec 3, 20171 min read
Art and Humor on Vinalhaven
It’s not often that schoolchildren get to spend time with a man who makes his living creating wacky paintings of fish and other marine creatures. The students at the Vinalhaven School had just that chance in late October when Alaskan artist Ray Troll visited the school to work with students and later gave an evening presentation on his career to a large crowd. The visit was organized by Vinalhaven resident Mike Mesko, a longtime fan of the artist. “Jim Clayter first exposed u
Dec 2, 20172 min read
What Happens When Change Comes to the Ocean?
Anyone who has enjoyed body surfing in the ocean understands the notion of a tipping point. There you are, paddling your body through the...
Dec 1, 20171 min read
Boothbay Harbor Chefs Named Lobster Chefs of 2017
Boothbay Harbor Country Club executive sous chef Nathaniel Adam was named the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year at the annual contest held October 20 in Portland. Chef Stephen Richards of the Fisherman’s Wharf Inn was named the People’s Choice 2017 Lobster Chef of the Year. A total of eight chefs prepared dishes for 200 diners as part of the city’s Harvest on the Harbor festival. The lucky diners sampled nine different lobster dishes during the two-hour event, ranging from lobst
Nov 16, 20172 min read
To Your Health: Opioids and the Brain
In this article, I will try to explain what opioids are and how they work in the brain. First a disclaimer: As I am not a physician, neuroscientist, or toxicologist, I am relying on the knowledge and work of others who are in those fields. It is clear from my scouting of the information available to the public that most of the information is not about how opioids affect the brain, but about how serious the epidemic of opioid use is in Maine and the rest of the country. Opioid
Nov 15, 20174 min read
New Health Insurance Navigator Joins MLA
In October the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) welcomed its new health insurance Navigator, Bridget Thornton. Thornton, 30, comes to the MLA from the Massachusetts Chapter of the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association, where she was the care services coordinator. Born in Connecticut, Thornton and her family moved when she was a youngster to Long Island in Casco Bay, which she considers her home. Thornton found her way into the world of health insurance through h
Nov 13, 20172 min read
The Clock is Ticking on Health Insurance Enrollment
What is your budget? How much can you afford to pay each month for health insurance? What is your income, and what do you think it will...
Nov 12, 20172 min read
Steaming Ahead
This year is turning out to be a difficult one. Most lobstermen I speak with are upset that landings have been slow and the price has been even lower than expected. The price has been particularly frustrating given the sluggish pace of landings. Add to that the ever-increasing cost of bait and higher fuel prices and lobstermen are genuinely worried. We’ve been talking for many years about when and if lobster landings will take a downturn. As that old saying goes, what goes up
Nov 10, 20175 min read
People of the Coast: Paul Anderson
Paul Anderson took the position of incoming executive director of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (the Center), formerly Penobscot East Resource Center, in September 2017. The Stonington-based nonprofit organization was created by former Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner Robin Alden and her husband, Ted Ames, in 2003; Alden served as its director for 14 years and is stepping down at the end of 2017. Anderson was the director of the Maine Sea Grant progr
Nov 8, 20173 min read
Maine Fishermen's Forum Scholarship Helps Young Southport Woman Move into Medicine
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum has awarded a total of $385,886 in scholarships since 1998 to students related to a person who is actively involved in the seafood industry. The awards given each year are based on the amount of money donated and raised through the annual Fishermen’s Forum Scholarship Auction. Landings introduces you to some of the award recipients throughout the year. Jasmine Waite, 22, is a graduate of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone and
Nov 7, 20173 min read
Guest Column: Eastern Penobscot Bay Hydrographic Survey Completed
Fugro recently concluded its second consecutive field season in Penobscot Bay. Working under contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the company collected 89 square nautical miles of hydrographic survey data over a period of three months to update navigational charts in the region. Having successfully surveyed western Penobscot Bay during the summer of 2016, this summer’s eff orts were focused on the bay’s eastern region. “It is without a doubt
Nov 6, 20173 min read
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