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, particularly Lorelei Stevens and Janice Plante. They were young when they started and remember how Susan’s patience, kindness, and high standards nurtured and inspired their development.

Plante, who went on to be the public information officer for the New England Fishery Management Council, remembers working with Susan after the U.S./Canada Hague Line decision in 1984. Susan was wrestling with CFN’s coverage of the monumental decision’s impacts as they related to Gulf of Maine groundfish fishermen and others who fished on Georges Bank.

Plante said that late-night session epitomized who Susan was, how much she cared about fishermen and their families, and how much she wanted fishing communities to thrive.

Before CFN, Susan was secretary of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) and worked with then-MLA President Ed Blackmore on the Sternman Project, helping pass a 1976 federal law that exempts fishermen from paying employment taxes for their sternmen. She also worked with him to secure the Stonington Fish Pier.

All the while, Susan was a fisherman’s wife, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She and her husband, Donald, were a team throughout.

Those who knew and worked with Susan are filled with gratitude for this kind, smart, principled, and strong woman who has made such a difference for fishing on the Maine coast and in our lives.