Residents of Penobscot vote to enact an ordinance regulating aquaculture operations at a meeting last year.

Working Waterfront

Another view on aquaculture conflicts

The opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Island Institute, the publisher of The Working Waterfront Yes, please, let’s have an honest conversation about aquaculture (as the op-ed by Benjamin Ford of the law firm Archipelago argued in the April/May issue of The Working Waterfront). Protect Maine’s Fishing… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

LD 1 would help coastal towns prepare

To support this effort and align it with the state’s climate initiatives, Island Institute leveraged the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation, and the Future’s Community Resilience Partnership (CRP) opportunity, which provides individualized vulnerability assessments for community projects. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A YEAR LATER—Waterfront business owners reflect on storms

“That afternoon, all the fishermen showed up to help,” Chipman recalled, a theme among the panelists, crediting the larger community with assisting in stabilizing the properties. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Listening for leadership

I don’t see many leaders. I see individuals running organizations and businesses, chairing committees and boards of directors, but just because they sit in the chair at the head of the table doesn’t make them leaders. Not only do we need leaders, but we need compassionate leaders who can hold… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Hopeful persistence

It is important every now and again for an organization to test its values. The process reinvigorates the idea that how an organization works is as important as what it does. It engages new team members in the fundamentals of the mission. It reminds us that values are more than… SEE MORE

An aerial view of Camden’s waterfront shows Montgomery Dam. PHOTO: TODD ANDERSON

Working Waterfront

Camden’s dam problem

In June, voters in the town of Camden will decide the fate of the iconic Montgomery Dam, located in the coastal community’s bustling downtown just above where the Megunticook River empties into Camden Harbor. Camden citizens will weigh the environmental, economic, flood risk, historic preservation, and aesthetic pros and cons… SEE MORE

Minna Page, a cannery worker, inside Stinson's Cannery in Belfast in 1990. PHOTO: PEGGY MCKENNA COLLECTION/PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

Working Waterfront

When the Maine coast was ‘Sardineland’

In the mid-20th century, there were some 75 sardine canneries operating along the Maine coast, so calling the region “sardine land” wouldn’t be hyperbole. The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport is diving into the history of that once robust sector of the marine economy in its spring exhibit, “Sardineland: Boom,… SEE MORE

A house in Gouldsboro for sale at $499,000.

Working Waterfront

Hancock County housing report a complex picture

A study of housing in Hancock County turned up what one would expect—too few houses available for entry level buyers and a dearth of rental housing for the same population. But the 250-page “Hancock County Housing Needs Assessment” contains a wealth of data about individual areas. The report was compiled… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Preserving our island and coastal history

Ideally, you should be able to pick up an Island Journal from 15 years ago and find something interesting to read. Early in my tenure editing the magazine, I leaned too heavily on stories that were newsier, and I heard from some readers that this was not their preference. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lobster landings dip, but price was up

Lobster harvesters earned $528.4 million in 2024, with an average per-pound price of $6.14, according to data released by the state Department of Marine Resources. The so-called boat price, that which is paid to lobstermen, was up last year from the 2023 value of $464 million. The price is the… SEE MORE