If you talk to New England commercial fishermen long enough, sooner or later, you¹ll hear their opinion on dogfish. Rarely is it flattering. Distributed from Labrador to Florida, dogfish, known by the scientific name Squalus acantias, migrate northward to the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank in summer. When this happens, they come in droves
Coastal development add a twist of “green”
Picture a summer cottage on a Muscongus Bay island with traditional shingled walls and six-over-six windows. Or picture a woodsy, compact and energy-efficient home near other houses, within walking distance of Tenants Harbor village, where there is post office, store, restaurant, plus a town pier and float for boat access to Penobscot Bay. Nostalgia for
Listening for Change
I am standing on the shores of Timber Lake, a frigid tarn in Alaska’s Brooks Range. I and my team are camped here for two weeks to record the soundscape of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Two other crews are stationed at sites further north in the Refuge. Our goal is to capture the creature
From the Deck: Look, Daddy, A Pirate Ship!
The replica of HMS Bounty lies on the railway at Boothbay Harbor. To any child and to many who should know better, any square rigged ship is a “pirate ship” with its romantic associations of the tropical seas, secret hideaways, and swaggering rascals, patch on eye, wooden leg, cutlass and rum bottle in hand. Actually,
Swan’s Island votes to buy a new fire truck
Residents of Swan’s Island met at the island school for a special town meeting on June 20. Fire chief Robert Gardner and assistant fire chief Joshua Joyce asked voters to approve a request for a new fire truck. Chief Gardner explained to voters that the truck being replaced, a tanker, is almost 30 years old and has been in need
Wonderful Organization
To the editor: What a wonderful organization Two Roads Maine (WWF April 06) must be. What a good thing to do in a group with people suffering various kinds of transitions. This was a beautiful article. Thanks for sharing this experience with us readers. Susan King Minneapolis, MN
Southern Newfoundland cod quota cut
Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn announced in May that the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for cod in Area 3Ps (southern Newfoundland) has been cut. Not surprisingly, area fishermen aren’t pleased. The cod TAC for 2006-07 has been set at 13,000 tons, down from 15,000 tons a year ago. “This reduction is necessary for
Islanders
Camden, Maine: Down East Books, 2005 336 pp, paperback, $16.95 Legitimate! This book, although written by a woman from away, is legitimate! A lot of folks have written about these islands. Some of them flew through for a taste then took their romantic notions to some mainland hideaway and cranked out a book full of
The Long View: Oil Demand, Supply and the Price of a Lobster
Out in the bays of Maine, in addition to all the continuing annual worries that accompany each new season of fishing, the 35 percent increase in fuel prices during the past six months will surely squeeze every fishing family’s annual income. Whether it is diesel fuel for the boat, heating oil for the furnace or
Giant Newfoundland fish processor announces layoffs, shakeup
Newfoundland’s largest seafood company, with a major division in Danvers, MA, is living in interesting times. Fishery Products International Ltd. (FPI) and its U.S. division, Ocean Cuisine, recently announced layoffs in the province and a shakeup in U.S. management. FPI was picketed by Newfoundland plant workers fearing for more job losses, reached an impasse in union negotiations,