Maine

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Andrew Havener Finding Friendship Oral History Project

Andrew Havener is a lobsterman hailing from Friendship, where his family has resided for generations. Born on September 30, 1979, Andrew developed a connection to the sea and lobstering, influenced by his family's long-standing tradition in the trade. He embarked on his lobstering journey at a young age, accompanying his father and eventually obtaining his own skiff and traps by the age of 13. As the captain of his 34-foot fiberglass boat named the Christo Salva, Andrew navigates the waters off the coast of Friendship with expertise and dedication.

Douglas Friendship, ME Friendship Museum , Friendship Village School
Andy and Jim Barstow Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience in Maine Fishing Communities

Jim Barstow, born on September 21, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri, during the Second World War, has spent most of his life in St. George, Maine. He moved to Maine in 1972 and has been living there ever since, drawn by the community and his childhood friends. Jim's entrepreneurial spirit led him to purchase and renovate the Ocean House Hotel, followed by the Seaside Inn, and eventually the Monhegan Boat Line in 1976. His family, particularly on his mother's side, hails from Pennsylvania and New York State, where they are primarily farmers.

Cameron Thompson Tenants Harbor, ME University of Maine
Anne Hayden Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum 2019

Anne Hayden is a senior fisheries program manager at Manomet from Brunswick, ME. She has spent over 20 years actively participating in the Maine Fishermen's Forum, engaging with fishermen and researchers to understand the pressing issues and trends in the industry. With expertise in river herring restoration and the impact of climate change on fisheries, Anne works towards finding solutions that balance the needs of fishermen, conservation efforts, and the long-term health of marine ecosystems.

Corina Gribble , Natalie Springuel Rockland, ME Maine Sea Grant, The First Coast, College of the Atlantic, The Island Institute, Maine Fishermen’s Forum
Anonymous Ellsworth High School - Maine

This is an interview with the alewife agent for the city of Ellsworth, Maine. Each year lobstermen come to buy alewives for bait for the lobster. He discusses the mechanics of the fish trap and moving the fish to their spawning grounds. He discusses the life cycle of the alewife and the importance to the lobster harvest. He discusses the sea birds that follow the fish and the competition that develops among them.

Brandon Lane, Anna Briggs Ellsworth, ME NOAA/NMFS Local Fisheries Knowledge Pilot Project
Arlene and Keith Hartford The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Arlene and Keith "Pete" Hartford both worked for the Stinson Seafood cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine.

Keith Ludden Gouldsboro, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Benjamin Crocker, Sr. Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience in Maine Fishing Communities

Born in Machias Port in 1935, Benjamin "Benny" Crocker, Sr. fished along the Maine coast much of his life. He took part in the lobster fishery and also dragged for groundfish. In the interview, he recalls fish prices, locations where he fished, various boats he owned and how he lived and worked during those years.

Sara Randall Tenants Harbor, ME University of Maine
Bernard and Marie Wallace Finding Friendship Oral History Project

Bernard Wallace, from Friendship, Maine, was born on December 3, 1929. Bernard, along with his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, worked as lobstermen. Both of his sons have also followed in the same profession. Having retired now, Bernard dedicated 60 years of his life to being a lobsterman. Marie, Bernard's wife, was born on November 9, 1932, and moved from Gardiner, Maine, to Friendship. Marie has two sisters and previously worked at Hood's, although she primarily considered herself a housewife.

Steven, Shawn Friendship, ME Friendship Museum , Friendship Village School
Billy Grindle Ellsworth High School - Maine

Billy Grindle, is a fisherman who used to fish for various types of fish from Eastport, Maine to California. He fished for scallops, lobsters, tilefish, butterfish, squid, mackerel, herring, porgies, giant Atlantic bluefin tuna, and oysters. Billy started fishing at the age of seventeen and continued until he was thirty. He owned a forty-foot boat but also worked on larger boats up to a hundred and ten feet. He kept his boat in various locations such as Northeast Harbor, Bass Harbor, Gloucester, Block Island, and Port Clyde.

Brittany Fellis, Eric Folmer, Cameron Dows Ellsworth, ME NOAA/NMFS Local Fisheries Knowledge Pilot Project
Billy Haas Ellsworth High School - Maine

Billy Haas is a lobster fisherman, commercial urchin diver, and scallop diver. He has been involved in these activities for about fifteen years. His daily schedule varies throughout the year. He works for ten months and takes two months off, usually during May and June. During the slow period, he prepares for lobstering, which begins at the end of June.

Shelby Pollack, Sheri Wilder Ellsworth, ME NOAA/NMFS Local Fisheries Knowledge Pilot Project
Bob Hessler Ellsworth High School - Maine

Bob Hessler is the manager at Maine Shellfish Company, a shellfish wholesale company. His responsibilities are accounting, data processing, and purchaser of lobsters.

Cassie Cloak, Alisa Gibeault, Sarah Gauvin Ellsworth, ME NOAA/NMFS Local Fisheries Knowledge Pilot Project