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 good one depends on when the lobsters come into the coastal waters around Mt. Desert. “This year the lobster run up inside was especially late. The lobsters were more abundant just as I needed to go back to school,” she said.

Gilley likes lobstering and the world that it exposes her to. “Being on the water allows me to experience aspects of life that many people do not see on a daily basis,” she said. Hauling her traps during the summer months is not always easy, however. “It can be difficult because of the amount of tourists and boat traffic. And the weather can make it hard to safely locate and haul my gear,” she acknowledged.

When she’s not lobstering, Gilley takes part in her high school’s pep band and jazz band. After she graduates next spring, Gilley plans to head to Eastern Maine Community College to study early childhood education and become a teacher.

Like many other young lobstermen, she is worried about what may happen to the lobster fishery in coming years.

“I have concerns about the future of Maine’s fishing industry, particularly due to increasing whale regulations and the rising costs associated with fishing on a daily basis,” she said.