Working Waterfront

‘Big Jim,’ an iconic Maine sign, finds temporary new home

Big Jim isn’t what he once was. At least for now. The iconic 40-foot tall sign that once welcomed visitors to Maine in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and later towered over the Stinson Canning plant in Prospect Harbor, is lying in a paint shed at Belmont Boatworks this… SEE MORE

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Island airline takes a stand over unpaid mail costs

This spring, Penobscot Island Air used an unconventional tactic to get money it’s owed for flying mail out to Maine islands. On April 21, the small airline shared on Facebook that the U.S. Postal Service owed it $388,000 for mail deliveries going back to 2023—including for all deliveries so far… SEE MORE

Business

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Coastal Maine eateries pilot reusable food containers

University of Maine student researchers are helping businesses in Bar Harbor, Bath, and South Portland incorporate reusable food containers into their dining experiences to reduce waste, through a pilot program called Reuse Maine. Participating eateries include Cafe This Way and Coffee Matter/Mother’s Kitchen in Bar Harbor, Solo Pane in Bath,… SEE MORE

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Startup wants to help lobstermen raise scallops

A Midcoast aquaculture startup wants to spawn a new way to cultivate Atlantic sea scallops and, in the process, create a lucrative source of supplemental income for Maine fishermen. Seascale is the brainchild of aquaculture veteran Charlie Walsh of Thomaston and lobster boat sternman Jon Steuber of Tenants Harbor. Today,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Underwater AI data center proposed off Eastport

A new tidal power project is being proposed off Eastport, but whether the developer has the technical expertise and financial backing to proceed with the proposal is not clear. Along with planning to provide electricity to local communities, the company, DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC, is seeking to power underwater… SEE MORE

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Decline seen in young lobster

The good news is that Maine has more varied and sophisticated ways to measure the lobster population than ever before. The bad news is that data shows declines in larval, juvenile, young of the year, and sublegal populations, perhaps signaling a drop in landings in coming years. Nine scientists from… SEE MORE

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Lobster landings fell last year as fishermen went out less

According to preliminary data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the state’s commercial seafood harvesters earned $619 million in 2025, which was the 14th consecutive year commercial fishery earnings surpassed $500 million. “Once again, Maine fishermen and sea farmers in 2025 delivered premium products sought by consumers around the… SEE MORE

Fishermen return to the dock in Belfast after catching menhaden, also known as pogies. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

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Fishermen divided over proposed menhaden changes

Like the schools of menhaden that roil the summer waters off the coast of Maine, a proposed law that would open that lucrative fishery to more participants has been raising turmoil among fishermen, legislators, and state regulators. Menhaden has become a significant part of the bait supply for Maine’s lobster… SEE MORE

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Changes below—Can wild kelp survive?

“Change is the only constant.” That’s one of the memorable sayings of my graduate school advisor, Dr. Bob Steneck. I started my career in Steneck’s lab, researching how the abundance and composition of seaweeds on Caribbean coral reefs can make or break the start of life for baby corals. As… SEE MORE

A stereograph image captured the William Underwood Co. cannery, which operated in Southwest Harbor at Clark’s Point, circa 1870.

Working Waterfront

A fishery transformed by canning

Men handled the heavy lifting and soldering of cans, while women cooked, processed, and packed the meat in addition to labeling cans. SEE MORE