The Maine Lobstermen’s Association’s newsletter has been completely redesigned for its October issue. The MLA has switched to a newspaper format, with additional features about the industry.
The newsletter is also going to more people. The old, letter-sized newsletter went to about 1,000 people. The revamped newsletter has a circulation of 6,000. It will be sent to all of the state’s lobstermen, plus fisheries managers, marine businesses and legislative leaders. The redesigned newsletter was one of the goals of the MLA’s January 2009 strategic plan, and was approved at the March 2009 annual meeting.
The Island Institute (which publishes Working Waterfront) has been part of this process. Hanna Wheeler, an Island Institute Senior Fellow, is the MLA’s new communications coordinator. She organized the redesign and will write stories for the new publication.
Through the new look and the wider circulation, the MLA hopes to get more input from everyone involved in the lobster industry. “We feel it’s extremely important during these times for everyone to be educated and informed,” said MLA President David Cousins, about the redeign.