If you were a lobster, would the color of trap wire or heads affect your decision whether or not to enter the trap? Would you be more likely to be caught in a two-parlor trap or one-parlor trap? How would you behave around other lobsters in the trap, both smaller and larger than yourself? These
Peaks Island moves ahead on its neighborhood plan
A rough draft of the Peaks Island neighborhood community plan, completed Dec 1 by a group of residents, details a vision for the future of Peaks Island. The plan has been submitted to the community for review and comment. The goals of the neighborhood plan are to promote and sustain an affordable community with a
What to do?
Thank you very much for your article “Sprawl” in the most recent issue of The Working Waterfront. You speak with a compelling voice about an issue with which I am very concerned. I have been visiting Maine for over 60 years, first as a child on Little Sebago Lake (where my Grandfather, an early settler,
Research question: Could disturbing the bottom enhance fishing?
Why are some areas on the bottom of the ocean teeming with life while others are like a watery desert? Trawl fisherman and part-time collaborative research participant Marshall Alexander points out that biologically rich areas are regions that have been “worked” or dragged over. This, claims Alexander, increases productivity and hence fish abundance. Pose the
Maine Land Bank
After hearing a presentation on the Maine Land Bank proposal I think there needs to be a very close look taken to it. At first it sounds pretty good when you hear that the program will help people hang on to their homes in the community where they were born and pass them on to
Candadian Auditor General calls Coast Guard inefficient; others complain of budget cuts
The Canadian Auditor General has issued a report to the House of Commons that is highly critical of the Canadian Coast Guard’s efficiency, management practices and ability to protect mariners. An opposition Member of Parliament from Newfoundland is equally critical. But a Newfoundland fishermen’s representative says that the fault lies in inadequate funding for the
State of the Port: Good Diversity is the key to Portland’s health
While 2002 handed hard economic news to much of Maine, the port of Portland remained robust, reported Jeff Monroe, Director of Ports and Transportation for Portland. Monroe delivered his report on the State of the Port 2003 at Portland’s Propeller Club in early January. Portland’s seaport continues to be one of the few U.S. ports
Sprawl and water
The recent, excellent article on sprawl by Colin Woodard vividly portrayed the conflicts over sprawl on the mainland and how that impacts us culturally in Maine. Along with many of the New Urbanists, he seems to believe that the solution is in concentrated “cluster housing” to reduce fragmentation. This may be true. There is no
Editorials
Drug rehab in Cutler If you’re looking for a good illustration of the swords-to-plowshares principle, consider the proposal to convert the former Cutler Naval Base into a center for rehabilitating people with serious drug addiction. The location of the base is significant in itself: Washington County is home to one of Maine’s most drug-afflicted populations.
Enhancing lobster stocks because – well, you never know …
Maine has an abundant supply of lobsters – total catches during several of recent years have been record-breakers – and scientists can find and track Homarus americanus all along the crustacean’s path of development from the larval stage to the large offshore broodstock. Odd then, that a Maine scientist wants to expend energy trying to