Tariffs threaten lobster industry as senators push back
Published onMaines lobstermen and commercial fishermen are bracing for economic fallout as President Donald Trump moves forward with tariffs on Canadian imports, a decision that has sparked bipartisan opposition in the Senate. While the broader economic implications are still unfolding, many in the industry fear that the direct impact on trade and pricing will be substantial. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) was among those who voted in favor of Democratic-led resolutions aimed at nullifying President Trumps emergency declaration, which justified the tariffs. Speaking on the Senate floor, Collins highlighted how deeply integrated Maines economy is with Canada and the potential harm these tariffs could cause. From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maines paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers, and lobstermen, the tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine familiar and our local economies, Collins stated, as reported by WMTW. Maines ...
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Eric Haun appointed as new executive editor
Published onNational Fisherman, the leading media brand for the commercial fishing industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Haun as its new executive editor. With a distinguished career in maritime journalism and industry insights, Haun brings a wealth of experience to the publication, enhancing its mission to deliver top-tier news, analysis, and trends to its audience. Eric Haun joinsNational Fisherman with an impressive background in maritime reporting. Previously, Haun served as the editor for MarineLink.com and Marine News magazine, where he specialized in covering commercial shipping, shipbuilding, offshore energy, and emerging marine technologies. His commitment to accurate reporting and deep understanding of the industry has earned him recognition as a trusted voice in maritime media. Im excited and honored to join the Diversified team as executive editor of National Fisherman. The commercial fishing industry plays a vital role in our economy and communities, and I look ...
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Third time's a charm with scallop/bottom trawler
Published onTim Jemison of Jemison Marine Inc. will pull off a boatbuilding hat trick next month as the Bayou La Batre, Ala., builder completes a third newbuild scalloper/bottom trawler for Warren Alexander of Atlantic Shellfish in Cape May, N.J. Back in 2009, Alexander had Jemison convert the hull of an old 93x25x12 shrimp boat to a scallop boat. Alexander had purchased the repossessed shrimper from a bank for the conversion. That boat worked out so well we came back to Tim in 2020 and signed a contract with him to build two new fishing boats the F/V Ocean Queen and F/V Ocean Pride and then I came back for a third, says Alexander. Alexander had Farrell Norton Naval Architects of Newcastle, Maine, design the steel hull commercial fishing combination vessels. All three boats are sister ships and identical in all aspects, says Alexander. The Ocean Queen was ...
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John and Judy Williams honored with DMR Andy Mays Award of Excellence
Published onDepartment of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher presented John and Judy Williams of Stonington the annual DMR Andy Mays Award of Excellence at the recent Maine Fishermens Forum in Rockport. Commissioner Keliher credits both with being engaged in important issues over the years, which often means getting to meetings. John and Judy are a team, said Commissioner Keliher. Judy does the driving to make sure that John is at the meetings where he can both stay informed and share the benefit of his experience. John has set an example for young fishermen of not only fishing hard, but also of understanding and being involved in the issues that matter, said Keliher. Williams, who is 71 years old, began fishing at six with his father, Bob, and has worked in different fisheries including groundfish, scallops and lobster. He is a high liner, and he brings that experience and knowledge to the ...
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Remains found entangled in fishing gear
Published onA fishing vessel pulled up a wrapped body with its fishing nets about 40 miles off the coast of Massachusetts Friday morning, authorities said. The body was decomposing and is undergoing an autopsy, the Suffolk District Attorney's Office said in announcing the recovery of the body Sunday. They didn't share if the body had been identified. The Coast Guard was also part of the investigation in Boston, prosecutors said. Read more...
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Maine Sea Grant funding may be reinstated
Published onDepartment of Commerce officials said Wednesday they will enter bilateral negotiations to reinstate funding for Maine Sea Grant, just days after the 50-year-old program was aburptly terminated by the Trump administration. Advocates for Maine fishing industry said the reversal came after discussions between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Administered through the University of Maine system, Sea Grant employs 20 specialists and stood to lose $4.5 million from the budget cut into 2028. A curt Feb. 28 message from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the programs works are no longer relevant to the focus of the Administrations priorities and program objectives. But now, through these bilateral negotiations, the Department will ensure that the American people, including hardworking Mainers like lobstermen and fishermen, receive the benefit of the bargain consistent with the Administrations priorities and continued relevance to program objectives, according to ...
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Lightning strikes damaged Vineyard Wind turbine
Published onA Vineyard Wind turbine located south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, already compromised by a blade failure last summer, was struck by lightning last Thursday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The incident raises further questions about the structural resilience of offshore wind infrastructure and its implications for maritime industries, including commercial fishing. The turbine, identified as AW38, had already sustained significant damage when a blade snapped during routine testing on July 13, 2024. Vineyard Wind confirmed that the lightning strike further impacted the splinted nub of the broken blade. Based on visual inspection of the damaged blade, preliminary evidence indicates that a lightning strike may have impacted the blade, though we continue to assess in coordination with GE Vernova, Vineyard Wind said in a statement Sunday night, as The New Bedford Light reported. Despite the strike, the company claims there was no indication of debris from the incident, and the ...
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Maine fights for Sea Grant funding as cuts linger
Published onMaines working waterfront is more than just a collection of boats and docks; its the lifeblood of the states economy and a way of life for generations of fishermen. Over the weekend, the announcement of funding for the Maine Sea Grant program ended amid cutbacks to the NOAA budget. Since 1971, the Maine Sea Grant program has been at the heart of that sustainability. This critical program brings federal funding directly into the hands of the people who need it most: those who make their living on the water. A recent letter to Maines Congressional Delegation emphasizes the programs importance. The letter urges lawmakers to fully fund the National Sea Grant program in the upcoming fiscal year. Its a simple request, but one with massive impact and one that reaches into the very fabric of Maines coastal communities. As one of the 34 Sea Grant programs nationwide, Maines Sea Grant ...
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Trump administration terminates Maine Sea Grant
Published onThe Maine Sea Grant program was abruptly ended by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, amid sweeping cutbacks to NOAAs budget. The news came Saturday during the Maine Fishermens Forum, an annual industry gathering in Rockland that Maine Sea Grant first helped organize in the 1980s. The Trump administration budget ax would cut $1.5 million in funding this year, $4.5 million through January 2028 and affect 20 Sea Grant workers at the University of Maine in Orono and the states small coastal ports. It has been determined that the program activities proposed to be carried out in Year 2 of the Maine Sea Grant Omnibus Award are no longer relevant to the focus of the Administrations priorities and program objectives, stated a notification letter from NOAA to University of Maine officials. The cutoff comes after a public spat between Maine Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump Feb ...
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Maine nominates new commissioner for Department of Marine Resources
Published onGov. Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Carl Wilson, a highly regarded fisheries scientist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources for the last 26 years, to serve as the department's next commissioner. "I'm proud to nominate Carl to this vital leadership role for our state," said Governor Mills. "His vast knowledge and experience in the science, policy, and economics of Maine's marine resource industries, combined with the strong relationships and mutual respect he has developed with Mainers who make a living on the water over his 26 years at DMR, will serve him well as the department's next leader." Wilson will be nominated to replace outgoing Commissioner Patrick Keliher, who recently announced that he will retireon March 14, 2025. Governor Mills will appoint Wilson to serve as Acting Commissioner until a permanent Commissioner is confirmed by the Maine Senate. "I think Carl is ...
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Last newbuilds at John’s Bay Boat, but the work carries on
Published onOver the past 20 years, fishermen in the northern New England area looking for a well-appointed, handsome, seaworthy wooden fishing boat have usually ended up at South Bristol, Maines Poorhouse Cove. Home of Peter Kass Johns Bay Boat, the yard started building wooden boats in 1983. That tradition is slowly coming to an end. Johns Bay Boat Co. is currently building its 78thwooden boat, which is also its last commercial vessel. Its the 34 tuna boat Lea Katherine, which will launch this spring and be based in Beverly, Mass. We havent built a boat under 40 feet in 15 years, says Kass. But other than the size, he says, Theres not a great deal of difference from the earlier boats and the one being built. Weve refined a few things, but the hull construction is unchanged. As in earlier vessels, the hull consists of 1 cedar planking over 2x ...
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Emergency dredging to improve safety for Montauk fishing vessels
Published onEmergency dredging is underway in Montauk, N.Y. to create safer conditions for commercial fishing vessels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it is deploying the shallow draft hopper dredge Murden to dredge the inlet to 12 feet to reduce shoaling at Lake Montauk. Unsafe navigational conditions, including water depths as shallow as three feet in some ar-eas, have made it difficult for fishing boats to bring their catch to market in New Yorks top commercial fishing port. The Corps was scheduled to dredge Montauk Inlet to 17 feet in 2024, but a delay in the pro-ject timeline resulted in dangerous shoaling that left large commercial vessels at risk of running aground. In response to the emergency, federal, state and town officials rallied to get the funding, permits and equipment needed to dredge the inlet to 12 feet to reduce shoaling. The emergency dredge of Lake ...
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Maine town pushes to secure fishing access
Published onFor the fishermen of Brooksville, Maine, the tides have dictated more than just the days catch, they have determined when they can even reach the water. With more than 50 miles of coastline, the town faces the critical challenge of no reliable public access for commercial fishermen at low tide. Brooksville is between the towns of Castine, where Maine Maritime Academy resides, and Stonington, Maine. For more than five years, officials in Brooksville have been working to change the access by dredging Betsys Cove, a project that has taken on a new sense of urgency since the temporary closure of a private marina in Bucks Harbor last year. As Bangor Daily News reported, the closure served as a wake-up call for the town, highlighting the need for permanent, all-tide access. The following closest public options are in Stonington and Blue Hill, ten to twenty miles away, which is ...
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Maine Fishermen's Forum marks 50 years
Published onIn just a little over a week, the Maine fishing community will gather once again at the Samoset Resort for the 50th annual Maine Fishermens Forum. This milestone event runs from February 27 to March 1, packed with special programming, industry discussions, and New England's largest marine-focused trade show. A Look Back at 50 Years To celebrate half a century of the Forum, attendees can take a trip down memory lane with a historic fishing slideshow presented by the Penobscot Marine Museum and exclusive 50th-anniversary merchandise. A dedicated seminar series will reflect on the Forums history, shown in a special 50th-anniversary video premiere on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. Seminars and Discussions for Every Sector This years schedule is as packed as ever, featuring many topics critical to Maines commercial fishing industry. Thursday: Shellfish Focus Day with all-day seminars. Friday: A packed agenda, including ...
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Luke Hartmann: Commercial lobsterman and sea glass jeweler
Published onFor years, Luke Hartmann has been hauling traps off the coast of Stonington, Maine. When hes not lobstering, you can find him at his workbench crafting unique, handmade jewelry from Megalodon teeth, shipwreck coins, scallop pearls, and sea glass that he finds on the Maine coast.His creative mind never turns off, paired with a perfectionists sense of detail. Both traits are evident in his lobster buoys that belong in a museum. His Blue Hill, Maine workshop is tucked beneath an unassuming hand-carved wooden sign. In it, along the shop's windowsill, sits nearly a dozen large mason jars full of sea glass, each sorted by color. One jar is filled with marbles he collected from a New Hampshire beach. I think somebody was seeding the beach like 25 years ago, he said, holding up the jar filled with smooth sea glass spheres. Hartmann sources some of his materials ...
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ASMFC repeals proposed gauge increase
Published onThe Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) sided with New England lobstermen and voted to repeal the proposed increase to the minimum allowable cast size of lobsters in the Gulf of Maine. On Friday, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries announced at the Massachusetts Lobstermens Association meeting that it would join Maine and New Hampshire in rejecting the gauge increase. Maine and New Hampshire decided to withdraw the increase following strong opposition from the fishing community in both states. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell called for the repeal of the gauge increase. In a letter to ASMFC on Feb. 3, Mayor Mitchell warned that the rule would place U.S. lobster fishermen at a significant competitive disadvantage compared to Canadian counterparts. New England Fishermens Stewardship Association (NEFSA) COO Dustin Delano commented on the final decision, NEFSA thanks the commission for hearing the voice of lobstermen. Raising catch sizes at this ...
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