Working Waterfront

Understanding immigration through Canadian eyes

This political season is once again illuminating the ongoing struggle to define who we are as a country. One pointed aspect of this debate involves immigration and it is as relevant in Maine as anywhere else in the country. We are agonizing over the appropriate treatment of U.S. immigrants, while… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Arm Maine to fight ocean acidification and other climate challenges

The Portland Press Herald’s recent "Mayday" series on the effects of climate change on the Gulf of Maine called attention to a critical fact at the heart of the Island Institute's work: the economic future of Maine’s island and remote coastal communities depends on a healthy, productive Gulf of Maine. The… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The world is watching our coast

Stockholm, Sweden, located in the midst of 14 islands, is home to the Resilience Center. Guided by island thinking, the Swedes are considering how to deal with a planet whose resources are overtaxed, and they are taking an approach to this challenge called resilience. What is resilience? It is a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Shellfish, kelp may join lobster as cash ‘crops’

As fall approaches, lobstermen are seeing 3,000-pound days with lobsters at $4-$6 per pound. Emerging Asian markets and increased competition for supply from processors are two of the many factors driving this trend. Consumers of the McLobster roll might have helped, too. All of this good fortune deepens our economic… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A summer of learning, leadership along Maine coast

On Swan's Island, community leaders and nearly 200 residents debated the future of the Swan's Island Electric Cooperative, the ratepayer owned distributor of electricity on that island and nearby Frenchboro (Long Island). There is nothing so heartening as watching community members of diverse background and economic standing give stump… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Electric grid, social grid and ‘energy nerds’

By Rob Snyder I am increasingly surrounded by "energy nerds" (their words) and if you live in an island or remote coastal community in Maine, you may be too. They love talking about kilowatt hours, light bulbs, appliances and the like. And as with most characters, they are easier… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Thinking like a banker and a fisherman

By Rob Snyder Fishermen from 15 U.S. fishing communities recently met in Boston to talk fish and fishing. But if you closed your eyes and listened to the discussion, you would have assumed it was a room full of bankers. They talked of valuing new assets and entering new markets,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Pairing preservation and energy efficiency

I hadn't considered historic property management as a part of the work of running the Island Institute, but with a 165-year-old building on Main Street in Rockland being our headquarters, I've had to learn the basics. I've learned that for some, the act of restoring historic properties is akin to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Town meeting time on the islands

Town meeting is a celebration at best, or a tense endurance test at worst. Sometimes, it's both. It really depends on what seat you're in. Emerging island leaders find themselves working alongside selectmen who've held their seats for decades. Each person in the audience has a personal relationship to every… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Planning to fish is difficult, but necessary

If you ask a lobsterman if he works from a business plan, the response might be something like, "I'm trying to get through next week," or "I take it year by year." Some will say that they used to have one, but they stopped when the timing of the… SEE MORE