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OniExpress t1_isd0h2r wrote

Reply to comment by determania in Alaska's cancellation of the snow crab season offers a grave, potential prediction for Maine's lobster industry. by combatbydesign

Carpentry? Graphic Design? Land-based Aquaculture? How about a writer, or a journalist? If you want to stay in agricultural we've got blueberries, potatoes, maple syrup, hay, chickens, etc.

There is literally an entire planet of possible careers other than Fisherman.

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determania t1_isd7ilc wrote

Obviously other careers exist. There just aren’t a lot in Maine. My point is that we need more than training for better careers, we need for better careers to exist here.

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redcoat777 t1_isdaq7m wrote

Why just land based? shellfish and seaweed farming should be able to withstand then pressures of climate change somewhat robustly.

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OniExpress t1_isdkivn wrote

Shellfish is kinda the whole issue here, but yeah, there are more sustainable options there too.

The point is that there are way more job options than "scrape away at natural resources. "

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redcoat777 t1_isegu2c wrote

My intention was to suggest bivalve shellfish, oysters, mussels, and scallops for example. With a farm you have many more levers to pull to mitigate the impacts of the warming.

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joeydokes t1_isfgd14 wrote

There's already a big scalloping industry. The DownEast institute on Bealls island is researching clams and mollusks, but nobody really likes clamming because wading in the muck sucks; even winkling is more attractive :)

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K8nK9s t1_ise5vm2 wrote

It would be nice if that were true.

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joeydokes t1_isffn94 wrote

Most of the kids in these small fishing communities only graduated high school by the skin of their teeth. Their future is in the trades, but there wouldn't be enough jobs to accommodate them.

My understanding is that it takes a minimum of 300 traps to break even; most working boats have 4 to 500 traps and are still in the red. The waiting list for a license (and 300 traps) is 8 years. So if you start your kid off at age 8 with a permit, by 16 years old they can become a working lobsterman.

A better education is the only way out, while most natives to the area are functionally illiterate.

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gulfofmainah t1_isga58f wrote

I’m a full time lobsterman with a college education half the fisherman I know have some college or a full degree, you’re making broad blanket statements here. I know plenty of carpenters, caretakers and workers in other Maine industries who are drop outs so what’s your point?

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joeydokes t1_isk3b3b wrote

You're correct that I'm over-generalizing and my apologies. My impression, spending far too many hours in harbors talking with lobstermen left me with a different impression. Yes, many are educated and well-spoke; but many/most stated they weren't cut out for classrooms and barely eeked out H.S.

I'm not saying anyone needs college , I was saying that the trades you mentioned are perfectly fine; my point being that I didn't think any given area could handle that many tradesmen w/out other economic improvements just to be able to hire them and keep them in their trade.

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