PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 18, 2025
No one has a bigger stake in sustaining healthy fisheries than Maine’s community-based fishermen. Challenges abound, but there is also hope when we focus on solutions. To adapt to the new reality, we need to recognize that we have a system that is in the process of breaking and adopt innovative approaches that draw on the expertise of both scientists and fishermen to address a growing problem. Reinvesting in collaborative research recognizes fishermen as ocean stewards. This is not just about rebuilding fish stocks. It’s about rebuilding hope and trust in our science and management. ~ Graham Sherwood, Gulf of Maine Research Institute; Ben Martens, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association