At Island Institute, we’ve seen firsthand how quickly Maine’s coastal economy can be upended. The January 2024 storms were a stark reminder––hitting wharves, businesses, homes, and livelihoods with devastating force. Within days, we launched the first round of storm recovery funding for the coast, helping working waterfront businesses reopen, replace lost equipment, and keep people employed.
That same urgency drives our year-round grant programs. Every year, Island Institute invests in community resilience––helping coastal entrepreneurs adapt, diversify, and prepare for the future. These grants are part of a long-term commitment to sustaining the livelihoods that sustain our communities.
Today, that work is taking on new urgency in the lobster fishery. Lobster has long been the economic backbone of our islands and fishing towns, but rising costs, environmental changes, and shifting markets are reshaping the industry. As part of our Future of Fishing project, we are working with fishing families to navigate this change by supporting the development of supplementary sources of income.
The Business Resilience Grants announced this year focus specifically on lobstering families fishing communities. Each project is designed to create new opportunities alongside the fishery – diversifying income, spreading risk, and keeping working waterfronts vibrant. Some of this year’s grantees include:
- Richard Howland, Islesford
- Brandon Bezio, Chum Again Charters, Monhegan
- Nathanael Philbrook, Islesford
- Jason Joyce, Swan’s Island
- Austin Schoppee, Schoppee Fisheries, Addison
- Lawrence Pye, Phippsburg
- Morning Star Fisheries, Nobleboro
- Bottomline Fisheries, Corea
From the island communities of Monhegan and Islesford to the harbors of Addison and Corea, this year’s grantees reflect the breadth of Maine’s lobster fishing coast. While their businesses vary from renting moorings to serving pizza slices, and from hooking bluefin tuna deep at sea to harvesting sea salt on the shore, their motivation is shared. Each business owner is directing their ingenuity, hard work, and a willingness to build something new that will strengthen both their household incomes and the broader community. In doing so, they are creating new opportunities that keep neighbors employed, preserve local traditions, and help ensure that their towns remain vibrant for the next generation.
And there’s more to come. This fall, Island Institute’s Future of Fishing program has launched Fishing Plus Accelerator, the first-ever business accelerator focused specifically on Maine’s lobster industry. The Fishing Plus accelerator was created in partnership with the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs and will start on October 1. It will offer free hands-on training, mentorship, and resources for small businesses from fishing communities – helping them grow and diversify alongside the fishery. Grants will be awarded upon completion of the program. You can apply now to join the Fishing Plus accelerator this fall. The application deadline is September 13.
Learn more and apply here.
