MONHEGAN ISLAND, Maine - .... As lobster captains stay ashore, the sternmen who haul the traps become collateral damage. Most of that labor is done by younger workers, who are attracted by the sequestered ruggedness here and can endure harsh winters both on and off the water. With real estate prices driven up by summer residents, the scarcity of jobs makes a year-round population even more difficult to sustain.
"I've seen a lot of winters, good ones and bad ones, but this was the worst one I've ever seen," said Doug Boynton, 61, who has been lobstering for 38 years. "For Monhegan to survive, it needs to be a good place to live for young people, and that's going to be hard," said Boynton, who pulled up his traps early and is now doing construction.
The Gulf of Maine is not being overfished for lobster....--more--"
Related: NOAA Says No to Fisherman
