Stonington is known as the lobster capital of Maine,home to stalwart, passionate lobstermen and fishermen. It also has produced leaders and innovators in Maine’s lobster industry. One such leader was Eddie Blackmore. A charter member of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), Ed went on to become MLA president,serving for 17 years. While he is known best for his dogged implementation of the Sternman Act (Tax Reform Act of 1976) to classify sternmen as independent contractors instead of employees and averting a series of trap reductions by getting V-notching recognized as an effective conservation tool, Eddie didn’t stop there. He also served on the New England Fishery Management Council, became a leader in establishing lobster cooperatives throughout Maine, helped found University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, and served on various boards both local and national.
So it is no surprise that following his death in December 2019 at age 92, people stepped up to make sure that Eddie was not forgotten. With the help of local donations, the town of Stonington installed a series of benches along the Stonington waterfront “right where Ed liked to sit,” according to Henry Teverow, Stonington’s Economic Development head. “He liked to sit where he could watch the boats come in.”
The MLA also stepped up to pay tribute to its influential leader, donating funds for the purchase of a plaque so that Eddie’s name might never be forgotten. Today visitors wandering the wharf can sit where Eddie sat, ponder the long, complicated history of Maine’s lobster industry and remember the name of Eddie Blackmore — “Lobsterman, Leader, Tireless Advocate.”