Category: In the news

Tony Matoin loaded his groceries into his company pickup truck outside Shaw’s. He had just finished a shift as a line supervisor for Central Maine Power and was headed home to Springvale. Then a man pulled up in his own vehicle and yelled at Matoin. “He said get the ‘blank’ out of here and go… Read more »

BAR HARBOR, Maine — On the day the virus arrived in Maine, Caroline Bloss lingered over pizza with her husband and father at Blaze, one of the few restaurants open in the offseason here. They were following the disease’s progress closely as it shut down schools and sporting events further south. And now here it… Read more »

Seasonal Maine residents Barry and Jane DeNofrio decided to face the coronavirus threat at their ski home in Bridgton instead of their condo in Boxford, Massachusetts, because there’s more air and space in Maine. On a hike the other morning, Barry DeNofrio said, “We didn’t come close to any people.” That’s less likely to happen… Read more »

Living on an island forces one to be an innovator in ways large and small. For the 50 or so year-round residents of Isle au Haut, an island off the coast of Maine, innovation can look like using PVC pipe as a curtain rod because there are no real curtain rods at hand — or… Read more »

NORTH HAVEN, Maine (AP) — As the coronavirus spreads, people can’t be blamed for wanting an island hideout. But one island in Maine has made it clear: Visitors are not welcome. The North Haven Select Board voted Sunday to ban visitors and seasonal residents immediately to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to the Penobscot… Read more »

CHEBEAGUE ISLAND — For island selectwoman Donna Damon, the coronavirus started getting real a few days before Maine confirmed its first case. Her daughter lives in Massachusetts and had colleagues who’d potentially been exposed to the virus at a meeting of Biogen company personnel in Boston that’s been linked to most of that state’s early… Read more »

The Island Institute has published a new study, the “Edible Seaweed Market Analysis,” that describes the growth potential for Maine’s edible seaweed market over the next 15 years. More than 95 percent of edible seaweed products found in the U.S. is imported, yet Maine waters provide

ideal conditions for growing quality sea vegetables locally. Maine aquaculturists are harvesting a highly nutritious, organic product and are seeing a surge in interest in edible seaweed across the country.

Have you ever thought about gaining a new source of income by growing mussels, oysters or seaweed? The Island Institute is now accepting applications for its 2020 Aquaculture Business Development program and is looking to support coastal and island residents who are highly motivated to start shellfish or seaweed aquaculture businesses within the next two years.
To be considered for the program, those interested must submit a short, six-question application by March 13.

The Luke’s Lobster Keeper Fund has awarded $25,000 in mini-grants to 10 coastal projects from Portland to Beals Island.
The grant program is designed to strengthen economic opportunities for fishing communities and keep coastal waterways clean, according to a news release. 
The projects include island and coastal clean ups; educational projects for elementary and middle school students and projects that support aquaculture and the remediation of ocean acidification. 

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Tom Roth traded fishing for farming. He’s always finding new ways to use farmed and wild seaweed.
“People get excited when they see something that’s good for them,” he said.
His latest kelp-based product: sunscreen.
“It’s all-natural. There [are] no chemicals. There’s no plastic involved. We’re really trying to be true to the environment.”
Roth also is one of the providers of edible sugar kelp in the state, the focus of a recent report from the Island Institute.
It sheds new light on what the industry means for Maine.