The Working Waterfront newspaper reports on the people and forces that shape Maine’s coastal and island communities. As publisher, Island Institute’s premise is that the cultural, environmental, and community assets here are rare and valuable, and are worth fighting for.
Please join us to support this important nonprofit journalism.

January 30

Following the stars

A deep look at a wholly unique form of navigation
The Last Navigator: A Young Man, An Ancient Mariner, The Secrets of the Sea By Steve Thomas (Revised Edition, The Abbeville Press, 2023) I’ve never met Steve Thomas, but we’ve shared a lot: time in Micronesia (where his story takes place and I spent two years in the Peace Corps); an interest in sailing and navigation; and love of a…
REVIEW BY DAVID PLATT
January 22

Port of Portland welcomes new harbormaster and vessel

In with the new at Maine’s busiest and most diverse port
Maine’s busiest and most diverse port has a new harbormaster as well as a new, 25-foot vessel for his office to use. Paul Plummer started as the Port of Portland’s…
BY CLARKE CANFIELD
Fathoming
January 22

Shrimp fishery moratorium continues

Federal cuts make collaborative research more important
It's hard to manage a fishery with little data. It's hard to collect data with few people. I attended the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shrimp fishery meeting in Portland…
BY SUSIE ARNOLD
January 22

A half-century of fishing news comes to an end

Newspaper convened fishermen, scientists, officials
A longer version of this piece appeared in the last issue of Commercial Fisheries News, which ceased publication at the end of 2025. Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast’s commercial fishing…
BY ROBIN ALDEN
January 22

Climate work goes mainstream

Climate Week events stoke optimism
Earlier this fall, I took the train down to New York for a few days to join in on Climate Week—a collection of events organized by the non-profit Climate Group…
BY SAIMA SIDIK
January 22

Maine’s housing crossroads

Progress, limits, and what comes next
Maine entered the 2025 legislative session with housing at the top of its policy agenda. For years, Mainers have grappled with unaffordable rents, scarce housing availability for working families, and regulatory barriers…
BY ERIN QUETELL
January 22

Looking for hope in a stormy season

A bleak news cycle interrupted by a personal milestone
In hindsight, I wonder if the name I chose for this column was too wishful. I took the phrase “Sweetest in the Gale” from Emily Dickinson’s poem, “‘Hope’ is the…
BY CHARLES EICHACKER
January 22

Here's how to save working waterfront

Lessons from a decade-plus effort to expand Port Clyde’s landing
Many people and organizations in Maine, including the publishers of this paper, have rightfully sounded the alarm about the loss of working waterfront along the coast. What is obvious is…
BY DAN MORRIS
January 22

Leaning into fishing

A new Maine program gives young fishermen career skills
For years, teachers and guidance counselors at the Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus in Sullivan worked diligently to give students who fish a broader outlook on possible occupations other than…
BY JACQUELINE WEAVER
January 19

To serve, to strive, and not to yield

Remembering Peter O. Willauer, 1934–2025
Most people clearly remember the first time they met Peter Willauer. I certainly do. An imposing 6-foot-2-inch figure, Willauer looked like he walked out of the movie Captains Courageous.  A…
BY PHILIP CONKLING

Island Postcards

EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining

Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.

WATCH ALL ISLAND POSTCARDS

 

SIGN UP FOR OUR
E-WEEKLY

Get the latest articles from the Working Waterfront delivered to your inbox every week.

SIGN UP NOW

THE WORKING WATERFRONT
LATEST ISSUE

A nonprofit publication of the Island Institute which has been published for over 20 years.

LEARN MORE