Assessing Vulnerability and Change in Eastern Maine Fishing Communities

Commercial fishing is an important economic and cultural element of Maine coastal communities.   Like many other places, Maine fishing communities are suffering from loss of access to fisheries and infrastructure, regulatory impacts and reduced resource abundance.  Although fisheries managers are required to assess impacts of fisheries regulations on fishing communities, this has proven difficult due to the lack of information regarding the current and historical importance of fishing in these communities and an understanding of how communities respond to change.  This challenge is even more pronounced in rural, isolated communities such as those found in Eastern Maine.  Vulnerability assessments are a useful tool to gather the comprehensive information necessary to determine cumulative impacts of management decisions on specific communities.  We employ a mixed-methods approach combining an analysis of quantitative socioeconomic indicators, semi-structured interviews and oral histories to assess vulnerability in four Maine fishing communities. We specify current and future threats facing these communities and identify adaptive strategies and responses available. Finally, we provide policy recommendations to minimize future impacts on these and other small-scale fishing communities facing similar challenges.