Trump's pitch to Maine lobstermen falls flat

[Eugene]

3. 'We have no market, but lots of lobsters': a Maine lobsterwoman fights for her livelihood

'We have no market, but lots of lobsters': a Maine lobsterwoman fights for her livelihood (The Guardian)

Today, in the spring of 2020, Maine’s lobstermen – and women – face pronounced challenges: an ageing fleet, a bait shortage, regulations that restrict vertical fishing lines in order to protect endangered right whales, and a decrease in trade with China after Trump’s trade war.

Maine fishers confront many of the same hurdles already noted in this column: working docks are disappearing, and the opioid crisis has reduced the reliability of crew. Climate change – the great accelerant – is warming the Gulf of Maine and shifting lobster populations north. Plus, the lingering pandemic has silenced a once-thriving market for fresh lobster.

“The pandemic is killing us,” Julie Eaton tells me. “It’s a terrible thing. We have no market, but lots of lobsters. We’re safe to fish on our boats. On my boat, it’s just me and my stern-woman. But I have no place to sell my catch! Right now, I’m home working on traps and gear. I’ll set my traps as late as I can, and still be able to make a year’s pay. I’m trying to fish a little smarter, not harder. I have a very limited time to make a year’s pay – it’s a little scary.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/23/maine-lobsterwoman-coronavirus-climate-change