“It’s the damnedest mess I ever got into,” declared Dana Rice, 57, of Birch Harbor, referring to his first year on the New England Fisheries Management Council [NEFMC]. The Gouldsboro harbormaster, selectman and lobster buyer had spent the morning on the dock in zero-degree (more like minus 30 counting the wind chill) weather, unloading bait
Working Waterfronts: The Land Trust Solution
Jeff Donnell and Mark Sewall, two lobstermen whose families have been fishing from York Harbor for generations, recently purchased a dock near historic Sewall’s Bridge on the York River. Much can be learned from this experience that could benefit other communities struggling with preserving access to the sea. The purchase of York Working Waterfront is
The Saga of the Little Brown Knife
Surely every one has a pet tool – the tool that feels like an extension of your hand, the tool with which you do so much that not to have it is unthinkable. I have a pet knife, a little brown knife, which makes paring and peeling a pleasure. This knife is at least 40
Report Draws Canadian Fire
Not surprisingly, Nell Halse, general manager of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association (NBSGA), took issue with the Science report. (see related article) “Ignoring for the moment that institutions as disparate as Health Canada and the American Health Association maintain that eating salmon is healthy for you, I question the reasoning behind going after just
A Sailing Family Takes to Dry Land
Jaja and Dave Martin have come ashore. After years of sailing – from the South Pacific to the Arctic Circle – they’ve dropped anchor at Round Pond and enrolled their three kids in school. The Martins have largely eluded conventional on-shore life, and escaped many but not all of its stresses. No nine-to-five job. No
A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity
Photographs by Peter Forbes Chelsea Green Publishing: 2003 Hardcover $35.00 Good design is part of Maine life. Think of all those old Cape-style houses, oriented so the winter sun warms their parlors; the clean lines of boats, bows angled to cut through rough water with maximum efficiency. Even the homely lobster trap is a triumph
Vinalhaven Students Rebuild a Blue Water Vessel
When Vinalhaven High School marine technology teacher Mark Jackson took his family sailing for a year in a 30-foot steel sloop back in 1982, he never thought he’d be offering up their former home for parts salvage. But that’s just what he is doing now as he leads his students in a complete rebuild of
Farmed Salmon Report Causes Uproar
World media from Maine to Singapore leaped on a story in January that linked farmed salmon to much higher levels of suspected carcinogens than wild salmon. The report, which appeared in the latest issue of Science Magazine released Jan. 8, recommended consumers restrict their intake of wild salmon according to its region of origin and
Deer Isle Group Moves to Purchase Causeway Beach
You know the story: a “for sale” sign ominously appears on a beloved piece of waterfront that the public has traditionally used for access and recreation. But here is a new twist on that story. The current owner was asking – no surprise here – a high price. The land in question had long been
Far east down east: Maine’s freshest foods spiced with Asia’s finest flavors
Photographs by Glenn Scott Down East: 2003 Hardcover, index $28.00 If your idea of a terrific shore dinner is steamed lobster, period, far east down east could be a shock to your system. Or, it could open new avenues of culinary exploration. For people who want to do more with some of Maine’s staple seafoods,