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
We are well into peak lobster season in Maine, so it’s timely to share an update on the MLMC’s marketing activities and the pivots we’ve made due to the impacts of the pandemic. Our primary … Continue reading
When COVID-19 seemingly shut down the world this spring, ripples of concern spread through the Maine lobster fishery. Large-scale purchasers of lobster, such as restaurant chains, casinos, cruise lines, and others, closed down in order … Continue reading
In late January, the Lobster Institute hosted the annual Canada/US Lobster Town Meeting, held for the first time during the winter in Moncton, New Brunswick. Coming off a big 2019 in the lobster sector, the … Continue reading
At the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) presented a plan for promoting Maine lobster to wholesalers, restaurants, retailers and consumers in 2020. Shortly after, the world changed dramatically as a result … Continue reading
“Waiting for a call from someone in authority, waiting for any sign of hope…” Do these words describe the distress of a fisherman’s spouse or do they describe the distress of a husband whose wife … Continue reading
Coronavirus has created unprecedented challenges for Maine’s lobster fishery. Traditional market channels are constrained in ways we could never have imagined, forcing the industry to reinvent itself, practically on a daily basis. Direct to consumers … Continue reading
A new person has joined the Maine Sea Grant marine extension team in Orono. Amalia Harrington, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Maine in 2019, was hired in March as the Northeast Regional … Continue reading
On March 27, President Trump signed into law the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to address the financial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country. The bill included … Continue reading
