Working Waterfront

Homegrown eels

Story and photos by Leslie Bowman Maine’s most lucrative fishery by the pound is its spring elver run, and as such, it seemed an obvious candidate for aquaculture. In Asia and Europe there is a long tradition of eel farming. But it took a woman from Indiana with a degree… SEE MORE

Ethan DeBery, owner of Fish 'n Trips, in Phippsburg aboard his AJ-28-foot lobster boat.

Working Waterfront

Lobster tour operators say demand is strong

PHOTOS BY KELLI PARK How well is Ethan DeBery doing with lobster boat charters? So well, that he has advice for his colleagues. “People have asked me, ‘Why don’t half of the lobstermen do this?’ I tell my buddies to get their captain licenses and I could send them fishing… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Leaving gas vehicles in the rear-view mirror

Until last winter, the transition from good-old gasoline cars to cutting-edge electric vehicles (EVs) felt like a distant, probably leisurely affair. To many in Maine, it still does. And why not? You don’t see many EVs around and nobody seems to be trying very hard to sell them to Mainers.… SEE MORE

McDonald holds one of her daughters while on a friend's boat in Stonington harbor.

Working Waterfront

The lobstering legislator

PHOTOS BY MICHELE STAPLETON Near the end of our conversation, Genevieve McDonald drops a bit of a bombshell by saying she is applying for law school and hopes to begin classes in the fall of 2022. This comes after she has described her work as a state legislator, her work… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Traveling journalists find ‘ingenious’ local initiatives

Despite today’s fraught political discourse at the national level, local communities are finding ways to connect and find common solutions and work toward renewed innovation, compromise, and optimism. That was the message from James and Deborah Fallows, journalists and authors of the 2018 book Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into… SEE MORE

Seen here is a visualization of a salmon processing facility and hatchery proposed at the former Maine Fair Trade Lobster facility in Gouldsboro. IMAGE: COURTESY AMERICAN AQUAFARMS

Working Waterfront

Frenchman Bay salmon farm sparks opposition

A proposal by a Norwegian firm to install a large salmon farm in Frenchman Bay is drawing fire from a range of local stakeholders. American Aquafarms was launched in Portland last year by Mikael Rones, CEO of Global AS, which is based in Trondheim, Norway. The firm submitted applications earlier… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State budget funds working waterfront protection

The state budget adopted in early summer dedicates $40 million to the Land for Maine’s Future program and at least ten percent of that money will be used to preserve working waterfront access for commercial fishing. Historically, the land access preservation program is funded through voter-approved bond referenda, but the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine-based hydropower innovator lands capital

Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), a developer of renewable power systems that harness energy from free-flowing rivers and tidal currents, announced that it has secured a $20 million investment commitment with an additional $5 million coming in the fall. The investment comes from a consortium led by Canadian Shield Capital in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bluefin: Gladiator of the sea, delicacy on the plate

When a Western Atlantic bluefin tuna takes the hook, the effect isn’t subtle. “They’re like a freight train hitting on your rod-and-reel,” long-time Portland fisherman Pete Speeches said of the massive fish. “The reel streams off and the fight is on. It can be 10 minutes or 10 hours.” [caption… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

It took a village to run the motel

My mother was possessed of a resolute conviction that people were good. Certainly, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, she felt my three younger brothers and I were clear examples—kind, compliant youngsters who behaved themselves and did for others at every opportunity. In spite of our best efforts,… SEE MORE