Verona Island may not look like an island when you cross over the suspension bridge spanning the Penobscot River near Bucksport at the head of Penobscot Bay, but like many other parts of the Maine coast, Verona was once an island. Motorists now get a better look at the island as traffic slows to a
Study: late-autumn disposal of dredged material has few effects on Penbay lobsters
In a study designed to assess the impacts of dredged sediment disposal on lobsters at the Rockland Disposal Site (RDS) in late autumn, Dr. Richard Wahle and his research team concluded that while the disposal locally altered bottom topography and may have even attracted crabs, there was no detectable effect on the lobsters in the
Threatened resources Maine’s bloodworm fishery faces an uncertain future
They’re certainly not the most glamorous of Maine’s marine resources, but last year over $7.9 million worth of baitworms were harvested, making bloodworms and sandworms the state’s fourth-most-valuable fishery – more lucrative even than cod or crab, scallops or sea urchins. But some worm watchers are concerned that a lack of regulations and scientific understanding
Bait Review: Brownies in the traps?
Along with the shortages of fresh bait for lobstermen in recent years have come some new alternatives. One can currently purchase leather bait that needs a week to start “putrefying” and lasts about 6 weeks. The smell is pretty bad, but the leather bait seems to work well. Now, from Coastal Creations of Oxford, Maine,
Maine’s most lucrative lobster zone considers limited entry
Lobster Zone D recently elected to adopt a five to one ratio for new licenses, meaning that five fishermen will have to retire before another license is issued to the next candidate on a waiting list. The idea is to reduce the number of lobstermen working in this lucrative area. Zone D had 1,253 licensed
Helping research reach the marketplace
The Lobster Institute of the University of Maine at Orono has for many years partnered with university researchers to develop value-added products and processes that could benefit Maine’s lobster and crab industries. Their projects have included using lobster and crab by-product in seafood snacks and pasta, developing a soy-based lobster bait, and patenting a process
The Fish House Opera
The Fish House Opera tells the story of North Carolina’s Outer Banks fishermen. These fishermen struggle to adapt traditional fishery practices to the requirements introduced by new fisheries management… sound familiar? If so, you should read this book. Each chapter comes at you from a different perspective, a different fishery or community, revealing an uplifting
Landings are low in Canada’s Northumberland lobster fishery
The lobster fishery in the Northumberland Strait is in deep trouble, according to fishermen from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. “It’s really bad. We had landings this low in the 1940s,” said Rory McLellan, general manager of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association. “Personally, I’ve never seen this kind of landings, especially with the
Tenants Harbor camp purchase would preserve waterfront, expand Tanglewood programs
A Tenants Harbor children’s camp that closed 20 years ago will be saved as a place for Maine kids to learn about themselves and their environment, if a pending deal goes through. Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, established 21 years ago in Lincolnville, has signed an agreement to purchase Blueberry Cove from owner Ann
Dark Harbor: Building House and Home on an Enchanted Island
The spell cast by Islesboro on the author of this book began in 1968 at a party on another island – Manhattan – when a socialite friend, Annette Engelhard Reed (now Mrs. Oscar de la Renta), invited him to visit at her estate there. Mehta calls his first chapter “Enchantress,” a reference to Annette, rich,