Ellsworth American previews Lobstermen’s Town Meeting

The Ellsworth American previewed the 15th Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting, hosted by the University of Maine Lobster Institute April 5 and 6 at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel. First held in 2004, the meeting alternates between the two countries each year. This year’s theme is “Two Nations, Two Fisheries: Shared Challenges, Shared Opportunities.” Lobstermen, dealers, processors, scientists and policymakers from the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada will gather for discussions about the status of the lobster resource and the business of lobstering, the article states. Lobster is North America’s most valuable single species, but the industry is facing unprecedented challenges — and these are accompanied by new opportunities, according to Richard Wahle, director of the Lobster Institute and a research professor in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences. The meeting will run all day April 5, including a moderated open discussion, and will be followed by an evening social. The event will conclude at noon April 6, according to the article.