Daily Archives: April 23, 2025
Richard L. “Dickie” Norton Sr. of Harrington Maine has passed away
Richard L. “Dickie” Norton Sr., 84, passed away peacefully at his home on April 9, 2025. Born on Sept. 19, 1940, in Harrington, Maine, he was the son of Woodrow and Helen (Robbins) Norton. Dickie met the love of his life, RoseMarie Polk, during their school years. A hardworking lobsterman, Dickie spent most of his life on the water or close to it. His early years found him driving trucks — hauling bait in the warmer months and plowing snow in the winter. When his father handed down Norton’s Clam Shop, Dickie ran it for many years with pride and dedication. After the shop closed, he continued lobstering in The Pleasant River in front of his home, always saying, “The lobsters are plenty and taste better right here.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:35
NEYFA Launches Fourth Annual Deckhand to Captain Training Program
The New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance (NEYFA) is proud to launch its fourth annual Deckhand to Captain Training Program, beginning April 16, 2025. Each spring, NEYFA brings together a select cohort of aspiring small-boat fishermen and women from New Hampshire, southern Maine, and northern Massachusetts. This year, six young candidates have been accepted into the free program after a thorough application review by our Board earlier this month. These individuals displayed the commitment and grit needed to start their journey towards becoming an owner-operator in New England’s small-boat commercial fishing fleet. Founded in 2022 by Executive Director Andrea Tomlinson, NEYFA is a Portsmouth, NH-based nonprofit with a mission to safeguard the future of the region’s fishing heritage. Through programming like Deckhand to Captain (DTC), NEYFA supports the next generation of fishermen with tools for success, on the water and on land. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:55
P.E.I. lobster fishers prepare for opening day April 25, 2025
Alberton lobster fisherman Kyle Fraser holds his granddaughter, Ella, aboard his boat, the Northport Ladies.
After more than five decades on the water, Eric Gavin of O’Leary will watch the lobster boats from the harbour on setting day. Gavin said his physician told him two years ago that after three heart attacks in eight years it might be time to hang up the gear – so he did. This year, setting day is April 25 for the spring season. Kyle Fraser, who fishes out of Alberton, said it is hard to predict what kind of season P.E.I. lobster fishers are going to have. “That’s the beauty of being a lobster fisherman,” Fraser said when asked about his predictions. “The price last year was around $7 (a pound). It will probably be more this year but then you have the Chinese tariffs on, where a lot of our live product goes. I don’t seem to have a definite answer on anything (right now).” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:48
Commercial Fisherman Dana Blanchard Rice., of Birch Harbor, Maine, has passed away
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dana Blanchard Rice Sr., 77, of Birch Harbor, Maine, who passed away peacefully in Bangor on April 9, 2025, surrounded by his family. Dana was born May 26, 1947, in Bar Harbor, Maine. The fisherman was raised by his grandparents in the shingled house his great-great-grandfather built in Birch Harbor. He always considered himself fortunate to have been raised by his grandparents, absorbing the values of an earlier generation. It is those values that he always credited for making him the man he was. Coming from a long line of fishermen, Dana started in the industry at age 3 or 4 by helping to tend a herring weir at Jonesport. It was there that he fell in love with the sardine boats and the fishery, one that lasted a lifetime. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:14
Fishing industry says Trump’s Pacific monument order is about fairness, economy
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument last week, a familiar face stood to his left in the Oval Office. The executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council was there. Kitty Simonds has served on the council for decades. She’s the first Native Hawaiian woman to lead the agency. Simonds said she attended at the invitation of American Samoa U.S. House Delegate Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, who had been writing to the administration about the plight of the territory’s fishing industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
New rules designed to give lobster boats a break, helping whales while reducing closures
Prince Edward Island lobster fishers are hoping new rules from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans will mean fewer harvesting days lost to closures when endangered right whales come into Island waters. “The first change is the addition of a 5- and 15-fathom line,” said Melanie Giffin, a marine biologist who works with the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, talking about the distance around a whale sighting where protective measures will be imposed. “We’ve always had a 10- and 20-fathom line, but this year the DFO has included a five- and 15-fathom line as well.” “If a whale comes inside the 20-fathom line, then the grids will only close to the next fathom line, which used to be 10, but now it’s 15. So it gives a little bit more space for harvesters to move their gear if need be.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:15
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ Novi Lobster Boat, 300 HP John Deere 6076 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 17 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here<. 06:15
