Working Waterfront

‘Jig’ gear: a better way to catch ground fish

When Darius Kasprzak, skipper of the Marona and president of the Alaska Jig Association showed up in Rockland, he knew that his biggest problem in convincing Mainers the merits of jig-fishing was the lack of… well, fish. “There ain’t ground fish in Penobscot Bay, and good luck finding them anywhere else,”… SEE MORE

The November light at dusk brings out unusual colors on this Stonington shore.

Working Waterfront

Stonington tops in lobster again, hitting $60 million mark

Maine's top lobster landing port each year is Stonington, and according to the Island Ad-Vantages newspaper, the value of landings in 2014 exceeded the previous year by $11 million, hitting a total value of $60 million. The port saw five million more pounds of lobster landed than in 2013. Given… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The sea continues to lure Linda Greenlaw

The witty and colorful Linda Greenlaw was the featured attraction that night, but a pall hung over the Maine Maritime Academy campus on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 21. It had been just three weeks since the El Faro, a container ship traveling from Jacksonville, Fla., bound for Puerto Rico,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Stonington’s Hagen Wharf slated for rebuild

A pending project to revitalize Stonington's Hagen Wharf is expected to boost a waterfront attraction central to the town's transient boater and tourist economy. Located downtown, Hagen Wharf comprises a granite pier with a ramp down to several floats, with some public parking. It’s home to the community’s Stonecutter Statue,… 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

Maine trade mission to Japan, China hailed as success

The notion of sustainable harvesting practices translates well into Chinese and Japanese, according to Deirdre Gilbert, policy director for the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Gilbert, who travelled to Tokyo and Shanghai on a trade mission with Gov. Paul LePage late last month, provided an overview of Maine’s lobster industry management and… SEE MORE

Ray Bowden enjoys the autumn sunshine on board the Bagheera.

Working Waterfront

On board for autumn colors

Fall foliage and boats don't seem to go in hand in hand, but in Portland, the best way to see the season's colors is to cruise around Casco Bay's islands. SEE SLIDESHOW The Portland Schooner Company, based on the Maine State Pier, offers four daily two-hour sails throughout spring, summer… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fathoming our tides

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. The coast of Maine and neighboring Maritime Canada are extraordinary in many ways, but there is one way in which we are truly unique on the planet—the height of our tides. What are tides? Scientists define tides as the back… SEE MORE

Fish prices in Portland in January 2015.

Working Waterfront

Obama should create marine national monument

By Peter Shelley A diverse group of marine-oriented businesses, hundreds of marine scientists, aquaria, faith-based organizations, conservation organizations and members of the public are calling on the Obama administration to designate the Cashes Ledge Closed Area in the Gulf of Maine and the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts off… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Calling all fishermen!

The Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront, is working to help fishermen and other business people diversify into shellfish and seaweed aquaculture on Maine’s islands and remote coastal communities. Are you interested in growing shellfish? Have you thought about gaining a new source of income through growing mussels, oysters… SEE MORE