Tim Sheehan

Tim Sheehan Image
Location of Interview
Collection Name

Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum 2019

Description

Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum 2019 is a project of Maine Sea Grant, The First Coast, College of the Atlantic, and the Island Institute, with support from the Maine Fishermen’s Forum Board of Directors.

Date of Interview
03-02-2019
Transcribers

Griffin Pollock

Principal Investigator
Audio
Transcript
Abstract

Tim Sheehan a former teacher from Pembroke, ME, cofounded Gulf of Maine, Inc., a shellfish wholesaler.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview Tim Sheehan talks about the innovative techniques he and his wife have used to recruit diggers and grow the company, the importance of monetary assistance for removing barriers to work, the plight faced by Native American diggers Downeast, and the barriers that new families face when trying to enter into a fishery. He describes himself as a consummate entrepreneur, business person, biologist, and former high school science teacher. He explains that he holds multiple commercial fishing licenses to operate his marine life supply company. These licenses include a green crab license, eel license (formerly), perch licenses, clammer's license, mussel license, and more. To maximize their profits, Tim says he decided to sell his products directly to big shellfish dealers in Boston, New Bedford, and Gloucester, bypassing the midcoast dealers. Tim talks about how he learned that the coast of Maine is divided into buying territories, and established families and dealers controlled these territories. He says that as his business grew, more and more harvesters started bringing their products to him. 


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