As of March 1, 2017
Penobscot East Resource Center
will be known as Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why change your name to “Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries”?
We believe Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries better articulates what we d0 and where we focus our work. Each day, the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries works to bring together the knowledge of local fishermen, the research findings of scientists, and the world of policy makers to create an abundant, diverse, and sustainable fishery.
Is your mission, vision, or focus area changing?
New name, same vision and mission. The organization was founded on the principle that the only way the resources of the oceans can be protected and sustained is through collective action of local fishermen and their communities, supported by science, and working in combination with regulatory authorities at all levels.
Our central focus remains on eastern Maine, but, as always, there are many situations, where we work statewide. Like ocean systems, we have to work at many different scales. Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries will continue to work at local, state, regional and national levels to secure a sustainable future for fisheries and fishing communities of coastal Maine. We continue to create an innovative model that may be adapted for use by others, elsewhere across the nation and the globe.
Why is it important to have Maine in the title?
Maine is where we are located and where we focus our work. Maine’s lobster fishery is recognized world-wide as an example of a thriving, community-scale fishery and its co-management is a foundation for our vision for all fisheries.
What about your work with local fishermen? Is this changing?
Fishermen in each local community are at the heart of the work of Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, just as they have been since the start of the organization. This innovative approach is working. Fishermen’s knowledge and their stewardship are critical to Maine communities being able to fish forever. This approach is the basis for early successes rebuilding Maine’s nearshore scallop fishery and the foundation for new approaches to fisheries management and science in the face of climate change.
Is the change in name connected to your Executive Director and Founding Director Robin Alden’s transitioning out of her post?
The change to “Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries” is being made to position the organization to effectively achieve its goals. The timing is independent of Robin Alden’s long-planned leadership transition.