Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries

04/02/2026

"What does a man think of in these long, long hours? Well, he thinks of the price of lobsters."

Written and narrated by E.B. White in 1954, this short film "A Maine Lobsterman" features Gene Eaton of Deer Isle.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. "The day wears on. The bait tub grows low, but no less fragrant… There's always the price of lobsters."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7a7acAelE8

This film tells the story of a Maine Lobsterman in the 1950's, back when lobster traps were wooden, lobsters were kept in bushel baskets and the price was ri...

03/04/2026

Who's going to carry Maine's fishing industry forward? This year, students in the Eastern Maine Skippers Program have been working alongside fishermen, scientists, and policy makers, learning the industry firsthand.

They've been digging into the challenges you're already talking about: what's happening with lobster catches, the whale thing, and whether anyone can find something useful to do with green crabs.

This weekend, seven crews from across the coast are presenting their original research at the 51st Maine Fishermen's Forum. This is your chance to hear how the next generation is thinking about the road ahead.

📍 Samoset Resort, Rockland
🗓️ Student presentations Friday, March 6th
MCCF booth all weekend, March 5-7

Read the full article in this week's View From Atlantic Avenue:

🔗 MCCF Website: https://conta.cc/4aO8VOB
🔗 Island Advantages: https://conta.cc/4s1gnwK (subscription needed)

02/06/2026

Sharing this FREE business resource:

Washington County Community College (WCCC) and MaineStreet Business Building are presenting a series of workshops covering branding, marketing, cyber security, and more. Attend one, or complete the full series for college credit.

Live Thursdays or on demand: Feb 12 - Apr 23.
Register: bit.ly/piep2

02/06/2026

🔗 Link to the survey here: https://b.ctct.sh/3ZiAsCv

Your answers are confidential. The survey takes about 30 min. You must be 18+ and have landed 1,000+ lbs in 2025 to participate.

01/09/2026

No right whales were sighted this week in southern Maine.

That’s the value of steady, on-the-water monitoring. It gives us real information to support good decisions

01/09/2026

Good evening,

Please be advised that DMR will implement emergency conservation closures in the scallop areas below, effective Sunday, January 11, 2026:

Casco Bay Islands, Zone 1
Lower Blue Hill and Jericho Bay, Zone 2
Upper Narraguagus, Zone 2
Inside Chandler Bay, Zone 2,
Cobscook, Whiting & Dennys Bays, Zone 3
EXCEPTION: In Cobscook Bay and in Whiting & Dennys Bays Limited Access Area (ZONE 3 ONLY), harvest by drag only may occur on Monday, January 12, 2026 and harvest by dive only may occur on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
The Scallop Management Area Map will updated Friday afternoon to reflect these closures. The closure charts have been posted to the website on the 2025-2026 scallop season management page.

The notice of emergency rulemaking will be posted to DMR's website shortly and is included in this notice below.



NOTICE OF AGENCY EMERGENCY RULE-MAKING

AGENCY: Marine Resources

CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: 11.08; Targeted Closures: (10) Casco Bay Islands; (11) Lower Blue Hill & Jericho Bays; (12) Upper Narraguagus; (13) Inside Chandler Bay; and (14) Cobscook, Whiting & Dennys Bays.

CONCISE SUMMARY:The Commissioner adopts this emergency rulemaking to establish scallop conservation closures in Casco Bay (Zone 1); Lower Blue Hill & Jericho Bays, Narraguagus and Chandler Bay areas (Zone 2); and Cobscook Bay including Whiting & Denny’s Bays (Zone 3). The Department is concerned that continued harvesting for the remainder of the 2025-2026 fishing season in these areas will reduce legal scallop abundance further, increasing risk to recovery efforts, as well as increase incidental mortality on sublegal scallops observed during the 2025 scallop surveys. Sublegal scallop aggregations are essential to the ongoing growth and recovery of the scallop resource. An immediate conservation closure is necessary to reduce the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion of the scallop resource in five important scallop harvest areas. For these reasons, the Commissioner hereby adopts an emergency closure of Maine’s scallop fishery in these areas as authorized by 12 M.R.S. §6171(3)(A).

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 11, 2026

Please do not reply to this email; the mail box is not monitored. For more information, I can be reached at [email protected] or 207-441-5040. Thank you!

Chapter 11.08 Emergency Rulemaking Targeted Closure 1.11.2026 WEB.pdf
Chapter11_ ER_01112026.pdf
Fair winds to you and yours.



Melissa D. Smith

Marine Resource Management Coordinator

Maine Department of Marine Resources

21 State House Station, 32 Blossom Lane

Augusta, ME 04333-0021

Updated Contact: (207) 441-5040

01/08/2026

Free Trap Disposal in Stonington/Deer Isle today and tomorrow (Jan 8th, and 9th)!

12/22/2025

In this week's View from Atlantic Avenue, MCCF Project Manager Kate Behrens shares her search for community as an adult—and the moment she finally found it on Maine's coast.

Read the full story:
🔗 https://bit.ly/4s1gCsm (Island Advantages)
📄 https://bit.ly/48QiaxR (PDF on our website)

12/19/2025

Thank you to our very own Santa, Mike Chichoracki, and everyone who turned out on a bitter cold night to make this year's tree lighting unforgettable. Here's to a cozy, happy holiday season for all!

12/18/2025

These students want to hear from YOU.

Eastern Maine Skippers Program students are tackling big questions this year: How do microplastics move through our food chain? Can green crabs become a viable aquaculture product? Is duckweed a viable alternative feed for aquaponics? Could cod coils offer a more sustainable way to target groundfish in Maine? What's really happening with whale entanglements?

Work with these topics or have data/findings to share? Contact Kimberley & Matt Larsen at [email protected].

Students will present their findings at the Maine Fishermen's Forum on March 6. Your insights could help shape the next generation working on these challenges.

Learn more about all the topics being explored:
🔗 https://bit.ly/4j4orcA (Island Advantages)
🔗 https://bit.ly/3Yn14ln (PDF)

12/10/2025

In this week's column, The View from Atlantic Avenue, Tom Duym writes about gratitude in a difficult season. The boats are coming in for winter. Catch numbers are down, regulatory pressure mounts, the community has buried some of its legends. What persists: the ingenuity and stewardship of downeast fishing communities, the shoreside businesses and co-workers who embody something increasingly rare, a collective commitment to a way of life that refuses easy categories.

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Press:
https://penobscotbaypress.com/articles/latestnews-islandadvantages/the-view-from-atlantic-avenue-week-of-dec-6-2025/

Or on our website:https://coastalfisheries.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-12-01_VFAA_TDuym_Thankful-Mariner.pdf