Sonya Corbett is a trap-maker with Sea Rose Trap Company in South Portland, ME.

Scope and Content Note

Sonya Corbett speaks about being a woman in the lobster industry, her transition to trap-making, her involvement with Portland political organizing, and her love for the industry. She first discusses her experience in the lobstering industry and her transition to building lobster traps. She explains that she started out as a lobsterman but decided to switch to trap building due to physical limitations. She joined a family friend's lobster trap company and found joy in building traps, which she envisions doing for a long time. Sonya talks about the process of building traps, from straightening and cutting the wire to bending and assembling the pieces. She emphasizes the repetitive nature of the work but emphasizes that it requires a genuine love for the industry. She mentions that her company is relatively small, with her boss, his son, and four workers.

Sonya mentions the recent Save the Working Waterfront movement and the passing of a referendum to restrict non-marine-related construction on the water side of Commercial St. She highlights the importance of maintaining the working waterfront while acknowledging the desire for growth and tourism. She also acknowledges the potential impacts of policy changes, such as reducing trap limits or implementing ropeless traps, on the business and the entire industry.