BDN shares UMaine Machias lobsterman survey 

The Bangor Daily News reported on a survey conducted by University of Maine at Machias associate professor Tora Johnson that polled 106 lobstermen and shellfish harvesters in Hancock and Washington counties and found that barriers to medical care in the injury-prone industry are likely significant contributors to addiction and overdose. Johnson said the burden of traveling from remote fishing villages to health care providers while trying to sell the day’s catch, scheduling doctor visits around the tides and a prevalence of either little to no health insurance in the industry were some of the major hurdles to care. “What we are hearing is a very large, probably vast, majority of harvesters have trouble finding access to the health care that they need,” Johnson said.