BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 1, 2024
Dozens of commercial and public piers along Maine’s coast were damaged in the twin storms on Jan. 10 and 13, delivering a serious blow to a billion dollar fishing industry that depends on such access points for bringing hundreds of millions of pounds of seafood ashore each year. Some pier owners are now scrambling to get repairs done before the approaching summer lobster season. Others aren’t sure they’ll be able to find the money to rebuild, or whether they should even bother. Climate change has forced many working waterfronts to make decisions, balancing the urgent need to reopen against the longer term demand for structures that can withstand rising seas and intensifying storms. State, federal and nonprofit programs are offering some help with the recovery. But as bigger storms become more common, this year has demonstrated that the present resources won’t be enough for struggling fishing operations. Insurance has not covered much of the destruction, and other help has been slow to arrive.