Eugene Greenlaw

Location of Interview
Collection Name

Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience in Maine Fishing Communities

Description

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.

Interviewer
Date of Interview
08-11-2011
DOI
10.25923/GXNA-0641
Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Eugene Greenlaw, born in 1949, is a lifelong resident of Lubec, Maine, with a brief period of service in the Navy. His first involvement in commercial fishing began with a job at a sardine factory in Lubec, where he worked for 31 years and eventually became the plant manager in 1998. Greenlaw has been commercially fishing for lobster since 1972 and has also fished for scallops, sea urchins, and herring at different times throughout his career. His family has a long history in the fishing industry, with his father being a part-time fisherman and his son currently running a barge for Cooks aquaculture. Greenlaw is also involved in the tourism industry, operating a chocolate shop in Lubec.

Scope and Content Note
This interview with Eugene Greenlaw, conducted by Cameron Thompson on August 11, 2011, provides a detailed account of Greenlaw's life and career in Lubec, Maine, with a particular focus on his experiences in the fishing industry. Greenlaw discusses his family's history in fishing, his own career trajectory from working in a sardine factory to lobster fishing, and his son's involvement in aquaculture. He also shares his views on the changes in the fishing industry and the local community over the years, expressing concern about the decline of local industries and the impact of politics on business. In addition to his fishing career, Greenlaw talks about his involvement in the tourism industry, specifically his operation of a chocolate shop. He discusses the challenges of running a small business, including dealing with various taxes and maintaining a customer base. The interview also touches on the housing situation in Lubec and the potential opportunities for local fishermen in tourism and aquaculture. This interview was part of the University of Maine project, "Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience in Maine Fishing Communities," funded by Maine Sea Grant.


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