Dana Rice
Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience in Maine Fishing Communities
This project developed a participatory, place-based approach for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of Maine fishing communities, documenting threats and resources available to respond to those threats. To understand the forces driving vulnerability, Johnson and graduate students Cameron Thompson and Anna Henry worked with community stakeholders to identify opportunities and strategies for improving resilience of fishing communities. They produced a summary report, entitled, “In Their Own Words: Fishermen’s Perspectives of Community Resilience.”
Once upon a time, Maine fishermen and women harvested a diversity of species, from groundfish and herring to lobsters, clams, shrimp, and scallops, depending on market conditions and resource abundance. Today, Maine’s fishing culture is concentrated in 50 coastal communities and is overwhelmingly dependent on lobster, while regulations have restricted other fisheries. Since 1990, the number of vessels landing groundfish in Maine dropped from 350 to 70. At least 72 groundfish permits have been lost, and dramatic changes in management are imminent, leading Johnson to wonder, “How vulnerable are Maine’s fishing communities? What can be done to improve their resiliency to future change?”
These are the questions that federal fisheries managers must ask when assessing the impact of new rules, yet too often they don’t have the right data to answer the questions. This project developed a participatory, place-based approach for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of Maine fishing communities, documenting threats and resources available to respond to those threats. To understand the forces driving vulnerability, Johnson and graduate students Cameron Thompson and Anna Henry worked with community stakeholders to identify opportunities and strategies for improving resilience of fishing communities.
Dana Rice, born in 1948, is a former groundfisherman from Birch Harbor, Maine. He began his fishing career in 1957, tub trawling with his family. Rice describes the fishing community of his time as subsistence living, with most families making enough to live comfortably but not able to accumulate much in savings. Groundfishing was only a small part of Rice's income, making up less than ten percent before he left the fishery in 1982.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Dana Rice, conducted by Sara Randall on March 3, 2012, provides a detailed account of Rice's experiences and perspectives on the fishing industry in Maine, particularly groundfishing. Rice discusses the economic realities of the fishing community, noting that it was largely a subsistence living and that significant wealth accumulation was rare. Rice also discusses the importance of the fishery as a source of income and protein for eastern Maine and expresses concern about the lack of access to the fishery. He talks about the processing of fish, mentioning that they were usually gutted and processed locally in Corea. Rice emphasizes the importance of remaining involved in the fishing industry and the need for input in the management of various fisheries, including groundfish, lobster, and herring. He also mentions the impact of seals on the fisheries in the Gulf of Maine. Rice recounts his last groundfishing trip, which took place in the late 1970s or early 1980s. He also discusses the challenges of fishery management and the need for equitable solutions. Rice reflects on the reasons why fishermen stopped groundfishing in the 1980s, attributing it to economic factors rather than conservation efforts. He also discusses the impact of regulations on the fishing industry and the need for an ecosystem approach to fishery management.
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