NOAA ’bout it! Federal funding that supports Maine’s coast is at risk. Speak up to show policymakers these critical investments matter. Learn more and share your voice now!
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
As conversations about the future of Maine State Ferry Service are progressing, Island Institute’s Nick Battista emphasized that the Ferry Service is a vital component of civic infrastructure that connects island communities to essential services and opportunities.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Good seasons and bad. The ups and downs of government regulations. The growing threat of warming seas. But this year, the state’s thousands of lobstermen, and the thousands more whose livelihoods depend on the industry, are staring down a storm the likes they’ve never seen before. As President Trump wages an unprecedented protectionist campaign to impose or tease steep tariffs on nearly every trading partner, an industry that thrives on the free flow of global trade — and disposable cash in Americans’ wallets — could suffer disproportionately.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
Though Canada has placed tariffs on an initial round of U.S. goods worth some $30 billion, lobster is not on that list. Still, some members of the industry and economic experts worry that broader global economy uncertainty may drive down demand for the product in Maine.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
When last year’s winter storms devastated the coast, Sam Belknap’s family wharf on Round Pond harbor in Bristol was saved by its concrete floor. The floor, which Belknap’s family poured years ago when they put in a seafood processing room, provided enough weight to keep most of the wharf from floating away.
Posted by Gerogia Howe & filed under In the news.
A new coalition is coming together to support Maine’s growing aquaculture industry, aiming to clear up misconceptions and highlight the economic and environmental benefits of seafood farming.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Island Institute, a Rockland nonprofit, launched an online electric boat toolkit to help marine business and coastal municipalities transition to electric marine propulsion and away from traditional diesel or gas motors.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
A marine scientist, a politician and a lobsterman walked onto a dock. Together, in frigid wind chill, they pulled experimental, ropeless lobstering gear from the water — gear that most lobstermen loathe. The Maine Department of Marine Resources held its first public demonstration day last Tuesday, where anyone — in and out of the industry — could see how the gear, still being developed, might work. And for some lobstermen, it felt like the first time the state was listening.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Walking along the fishermen’s co-op dock, Sam Belknap says it is a model for what the Maine coast must do to build resilience in the face of climate change. “This is the type of investment all wharves need to be making,” he explained. Belknap is director of coastal economy for the Island Institute of Rockland, a nonprofit organization that has been helping coastal areas with economic and community development for the past 40 years.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
In 2021, the city of Eastport, with support from Island Institute, was awarded an Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project grant from the Department of Energy with , which funded work to develop localized energy generation and storage.
Now, a community-driven initiative is developing solar and tidal power to feed a microgrid. It would allow the island community to weather hours of outages, detached from the main electrical grid without the high costs and carbon footprint of diesel. The grant launched the feasibility studies and produced the plans for the transition that Eastport is in the middle of building out.
Posted by Laura England & filed under In the news.
Nine months after damaging storms in January heavily impacted Maine’s coastal communities, recovery is still top of mind. The issue is being put back at the forefront for state legislators. In Bremen on Tuesday, Island Institute hosted a roundtable between leaders from Maine’s working waterfronts, Sen. Angus King, and Rep. Chellie Pingree.
