The Maine coast has been severely impacted by this winter’s storms and there has been significant damage to the working waterfront along with coastal properties and public access points. The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association (MCFA), a non-profit dedicated to fostering sustainable fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and supporting Maine’s fishing businesses, has been working to respond to the needs of waterfront communities and those who work along the waterfront in order to assess damages and plan for the future. Many organizations have been instrumental in documenting the damage and providing information and resources to those along the coast, including the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT), a member-supported organization dedicated to conserving and restoring the land, water, and wildlife of the Kennebec Estuary. KELT has been sharing information with their audiences about how to report impacts along with opportunities for funding to facilitate clean-up and rebuilding.

In order to share these efforts and provide an avenue for questions and discussions from the community, the two organizations will be presenting a panel discussion about the future of the working waterfront along with strategies and solutions for recovering and rebuilding following the storms. The panel, entitled “What Does the Working Waterfront Look Like After the Storms,” will be held at Maine Maritime Museum in Bath on April 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Long Reach Hall. The event will be a discussion about the future of the maritime industry in Maine as well as ways that industry can be responsive to coastal storms and climate change. Panelists will include individuals who will focus on education, commercial fisheries, waterfront business, maritime trades, and construction. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions. Resources that are discussed during the presentation will be shared after the event.

The April 3 panel discussion is part of a series that Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association has hosted in several coastal communities over the past two and half years to facilitate dialogue about Maine’s working waterfront. These presentations have been held in Harpswell, Freeport, Brunswick, Belfast, St. George, and Kennebunkport. Recordings and blog posts from previous panels as well as resources related to storm recovery are available at www.mainecoastfishermen.org/working-waterfront.

The panel discussions are designed to be informal and conversational with a small group of panelists representing different industries and perspectives. Each is moderated by MCFA’s Director of Community Programs, Monique Coombs. In her position at MCFA, Coombs  oversees marine programs and fishing community engagement and works closely with commercial fisheries to protect, preserve, and revitalize working waterfronts. She is also a resident of Harpswell, a member of a fishing family, and has witnessed the damage from the recent storms first-hand. 

The April 3 event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Please register at https://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/event/working-waterfront-update/.