Despite unprecedented market losses, Maine fishermen earned over a half billion dollars for their catch in 2020. Valued at $516,796,614, the ex-vessel value of Maine’s commercially harvested marine resources was the ninth highest on record. … Continue reading
The new year is bringing many changes, so the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is prepared to remain flexible and pivot as needed to take advantage of market conditions. We are starting the year with a … Continue reading
Small businesses hurt by the pandemic can access more loans and grant money in the $900 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress in late December 2020.The new round of stimulus money again includes $300 million … Continue reading
COVID-19 has hit all sectors of the American economy hard, including the seafood industry. Two new studies show exactly how detrimental the pandemic has been to the country’s fishing industries.A study conducted by Rutgers University … Continue reading
I ended last year’s guest column optimistically looking ahead to 2020, to ending the uncertainties of 2019. Few could have predicted that in addition to ongoing trade policy challenges, the world would face a global … Continue reading
As we approach the end of 2020, a year most of us are glad to see go, it’s a good time to review the results of the Maine lobster marketing program.As background, the Maine Lobster … Continue reading
The 2020 American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment was released in November by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The study, undertaken every five years, presents contrasting results for the two American lobster stock units, with … Continue reading
Stonington lobster fisherman John Williams usually hauls his boat out in February for annual maintenance and paint in preparation for the start of the spring fishing season. “Then COVID started,” he says. The health emergency … Continue reading
In October, Luke’s Lobster and the Island Institute, a non-profit organization based in Rockland, received a $2.5 million grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation of California to build new markets for Maine’s seafood while … Continue reading
The Maine lobster industry has faced more than its share of challenges over the past few years. The industry has weathered unfavorable trade regulations which have made Maine lobster less competitive in the European and … Continue reading
