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Although the first Maine immigrants spent only one winter at Popham Beach, The nearby town of Phippsburg celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2014. Fishing is the town’s major industry—lobsters, clams, a few draggers and tuna hunters in season. but before the bigger boats can start up the gas, they must have a Coast-Guard approved fishing plan.
Fishing is in trouble. As your car winds down the road toward the end of the peninsula, you read the sign: EAT LOBSTAH. Fishermen can hardly get a break-even price to keep their boats, bait, and equipment going. Lobsters line the floor of the bay. Too much supply, not enough demand. Given a chance, the vicious crustaceans will cannibalize each other. But their normal predators, fish, cod and halibut, are in short supply.
Way back when, the plentiful lobsters washed up on the beach. The pioneers fed them to the prisoners.
How do you like them?
Front page of Times Record, March 6, 2015…..Fishermen set record $585M haul in 2014
Lobsters: 123.7 million lbs valued at $465.9 million; Soft-shell clams: 2 million lbs. valued at $19.2 million; Scallops 584,173 lbs.valued at $7.5 million; Cod: 403351 lbs. valued at $881,721
Personally, I’m tired of all the fishermen whining about “a lousy year”. I have heard this song & dance for about 50 years.
Waalll…..You’re a lot closer to it than I am. And you have a lot more snow than I do.