In the News | July 2026

Lobster lady saluted by local fleet

On what would have been Virginia Oliver’s 106th birthday, the lobster fishing community honored her on June 6 with a boat parade in Rockland harbor. Dozens of boats joined in a final farewell to “Ginny” Oliver, who died in January this year. She fished for decades with her husband Bill. After he died, she lobstered with her son Max until she was 102.

Big Jim stands tall once again off Route 1 in Searsport. BDN Photo.

Positive signs for Atlantic cod stock

Video trawl surveys conducted by researchers from the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology this spring offered encouraging early signs for Atlantic cod populations. Preliminary observations indicated higher numbers of juvenile Atlantic cod than have been seen in recent years. Unlike traditional trawl surveys, the video trawl system uses a modified open cod-end that allows fish to pass through the net unharmed while underwater cameras record marine life moving through the gear.

Small businesses make up Maine aquaculture sector

A recent report found that Maine’s aquaculture sector is mainly made up of small, beginning farmers. These small businesses helped drive a 51% increase in the sector’s contribution to the state’s economy, from $137.6 million in 2014 to $208.1 million in 2023. “This sector supports young people staying in Maine, fishermen diversifying their income and families feeding their communities with fresh, local food,” said Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association.

Trump administration buys back additional wind leases

The Department of Interior announced in mid-June that it would compensate Invernergy $765 million for four offshore wind leases, the third such deal struck by the Trump administration. The leases are located in federal waters in the New York Bight, off central California and in the Gulf of Maine. All the projects were in the early stages of development.

Big Jim stands tall again

“Big Jim,” a 40-foot symbol of Maine’s fishing heritage, was installed at the Penobscot Marine Museum in June is standing tall again after a two-year restoration. The character dates back to the 1950s, when a plywood version of the fisherman was stationed in Kittery, greeting visitors to Maine and advertising sardines. In the 1970s, Big Jim moved to Prospect Harbor where he was stationed outside the Stinson Canning company. The figure was originally made from plywood, but the canning company made a new aluminum version in the 1980s. Big Jim will return to Prospect Harbor after the museum closes for the season in the fall.