A fishing boat brings its catch to a buying station in Stonington.

Working Waterfront

Lobster catch at $533 million for 2016

Last year saw another record-setting catch, both in pounds and dollar value, for the Maine lobster fishery. The numbers, announced by the state’s Department of Marine Resources at the March 3 Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport, included more than 130 million pounds, for which harvesters were paid $533 million. Including bonuses… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Book review: National parks as ‘breathing places’

The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks. By Terry Tempest Williams When filmmaker Ken Burns set out to document the history of America’s “best idea”—our national parks—he called on a number of distinguished writers and historians to help testify to their special place in our land—and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A tale of three winter fisheries

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. Winter on the coast of Maine in the 1980s and 1990s was a time for fishing urchins, scallops and shrimp. All three of these fisheries are now much smaller than they once were. Will they grow to create more economic… SEE MORE

Newman & Gray on Great Cranberry Island.

Working Waterfront

Passing the torch—Helping next generation of boatyard owners protects jobs, access

This is the second in a three-part series about the role boat builders and boatyards play in Maine’s coastal and island economy. Boatyards, marinas and boat builders represent a large part of the state’s island and coastal economies, accounting for more than 2,200 jobs. But these businesses, often run by… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Cruise ship regularly used ‘magic pipe’ to discharge oil waste

The Caribbean Princess, a cruise ship that visited Maine, regularly used an illegal pipe from 2005 to 2013 to discharge oily wastewater, according to federal court documents. In a settlement announced in December, the cruise ship owner, Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., owned by Carnival Corporation, pleaded guilty to seven felony… SEE MORE

A cruise ship seen from the North Ridge Trail on Cadillac Mountain.

Working Waterfront

Cruise ship industry important to Maine, but so is environment

Thirty years ago, any cruise ship visiting Maine made headlines in newspapers and prompted live remote shots by TV stations. Then, for towns like Bar Harbor and Portland, cruise ships became a routine and anticipated part of the tourism season. In the last 20 years, cruise ships have become as… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Casco Bay better for volunteer efforts

More than 100 volunteers and supporters of Friends of Casco Bay attended a Jan. 24 recognition ceremony honoring those who give their time to help protect the environmental health of Casco Bay. The Volunteer Appreciation Celebration was an opportunity for Friends of Casco Bay to thank all its volunteers, including those who monitor… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On offshore wind, Island Institute weighs community costs, benefits

Renewable energy is critical for all of us as a response to climate-driven changes that are already impacting our fisheries and coastal infrastructure. It is important that we continue to move toward clean energy while also considering the costs inherent to energy generation. Leaders of island communities not connected to… SEE MORE

A view of Swan's Island's Burnt Cove Lighthouse.

Working Waterfront

PUC vote raises question: Are we all Swan’s Island?

If you live in Jonesport, Rangeley or New Sweden, you may not feel like you have much in common with Swan’s Island and neighboring Frenchboro Island, and that’s assuming that you’ve even heard of them before. But a recent decision at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) suggests you have more… SEE MORE

Megan and Keaton Scarponi in front of their soon-to-be-completed new house in Washington.

Working Waterfront

Boomers, millennials like smaller, energy-efficient houses

One couple is moving into their new empty-nest house. The other, into their first home. The houses are nearly identical, which isn’t surprising, given that they were designed by the same architects. But they have more in common than an architectural firm. The two couples are separated by 25 years… SEE MORE