No one can really predict the future. Maine’s lobstermen, however, are well positioned to have a better sense of the future than most others. They see the changes that a warming climate has caused in the Gulf of Maine and they experience the effects of more frequent and intense storms.
A recent $1.4 million grant to the Island Institute in Rockland aims to help lobstermen and their communities remain resilient in the face of rapidly escalating environmental change. The grant, requested by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, will fund the Future of Fishing, a collaborative effort designed to expand economic opportunities in fishing communities.
MLA photo.
“There’s so much change on the horizon,” said Sam Belknap, director of the Island Institute’s Center for Marine Economy. “Lobstermen need to be able to access more support for their business. This is about how to bring existing resources in the state to bear on the fishery sector.”
Belknap references the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s successful Farms of the Future program, which advocates for and provides resources to commercial farms. “We want to weave together a network of business support in the state to help fishermen and communities,” Belknap said. The three-year grant will focus on entrepreneurship, business support, and skills training. The Island Institute will collaborate with existing institutions and businesses to expand business support in Maine specifically for fishermen.
Lobstering takes a lot of time and attention. A lobsterman may not have the time or the inclination to think strategically about the future, whether to incorporate as a business or not, what to do to plan for retirement, or any of the other questions small business owners typically grapple with. He might wonder about fishing for a new species lately found in the Gulf or perhaps delving into aquaculture, but not know quite know how to go about getting information, much less funding.
“There’s opportunity and need within fishing families to think about the future,” Belknap said. “We want to get organizations to think of them and how to offer resources tailored to those needs.”
By partnering with local organizations and businesses, such as the Sunrise County Economic Council in Washington County or Maine’s Small Business Development centers, the project will be able to respond to the specific issues of different parts of the coast. “The aim is to seed fishing business-centric services within these communities,” Belknap explained. “This will create opportunities to keep communities successful but at different scales. The banks are a key component.”
“The goal is to get more organizations to offer assistance of value to fishing families in the near and long term, so that fishermen can be able to make a living on the water in the future,” he said. For more information, contact Sam Belknap at sbelknap@islandinsitute.org or 992-7726.
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