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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E Forward Thinking • Innovative • Consistency You Can Count On D'arcy Main-Boyington Economic Development Director ecdev@brewermaine.gov 207-989-7500 W W W. B R E W E R M A I N E . G O V/ B I Z " The City of Brewer has helped us locate and secure the right resources to enable us to thrive and grow in Maine. Brewer is centrally located, making it a great home for Troy Industrial!" Bre MacLean General Manager of Troy Industrial Solutions EAT SHOP PLAY STAY biddefordmaine.org/visit Discover award-winning restaurants, shop unique local boutiques, or play by the scenic Saco River. Come see why River. Come see why Biddeford is Maine's hidden gem for a perfect getaway! O n a sweltering day in early July, the navy-blue and white Sea Smoke — a 32-foot Holland lobster boat — pulls into Portland Harbor with a crew of young lob- stermen and women hauling freshly caught crustaceans piled high inside bright blue barrels. Clad in lobstering's trademark bright orange garb, the teenage crew supervised by Miranda Shinn attaches plastic containers to chains hoisted by crane into the Luke's Lobster buying station next to the eponymous waterfront restaurant. e clawed critters are marked with different color tape strips — orange, yellow, blue and so on — according to who caught them, in order to track whom to credit for each catch. Before the lobsters are plunked into temperature-controlled tanks, they are weighed and counted so the crew members can get paid, the amounts recorded on hand- written receipts. "We are lit!" one boy exclaims as he trades high fives with a fellow seafarer, while a female peer laughs about breaking her own three-lobster "curse" to bring back five that day. As they finish lunch while filling in their logbooks about what they caught and where — a requirement for student license holders — the next group starts prepping traps with buoys and bait for the afternoon outing as part of a summer mentorship program called Lift All Boats. Bridging the gap Launched in 2022 by Luke's Lobster founders Luke Holden and Ben Conniff, Lift All Boats aims to give high school students an entry point into lobstering either as a hobby or livelihood. With some exceptions, most are based in the Portland area. "e program is intended for students who don't have existing connections to the lobster industry," says Conniff, chief innovation officer at Luke's Lobster. Currently the way the fish- ery is set up, the only way to get a commercial license is either to spend 14 years on a wait list or get a student license at a very young age — some- thing only kids from lobstering fami- lies tend to be privy to. "Lift All Boats exists to offer that opportunity to kids without those insider connections but who still have a lot to offer the industry," Conniff says. "e goal is to bridge the gap between students who would have no pathway into lobstering but may love it, and lobstermen who are hav- ing trouble finding young people who want to join the industry and train as their sternmen." Patrice McCarron, executive direc- tor of the Kennebunk-based Maine Lobstermen's Association, says the program comes at a time of transition for a tradition-bound industry, with a growing number of retirements creat- ing opportunities for newcomers in various roles. "What the program is doing is really innovative," she says. Lift All Boats started with four participants in 2022, growing every year and including some who've stuck with the program as they've started college. is year's 30-strong cohort includes 20 returnees. Despite the underrepresentation of women in lobstering and shortage of training opportunities, more than a third of participants — and half of this year's group — are female. "For our industry to thrive, we need the broadest pool of talent pos- sible," Conniff says. Catching the spirit Esperanza, a 16-year-old rising senior at South Portland High School, is in this year's group. "I really like the community and the team aspect of working with a group," she says. She also says she's learned "that lobstering is an incredibly competi- tive field, and that some lobstermen will do anything to make sure their traps aren't tampered with." Keeping For our industry to thrive, we need the broadest pool of talent possible. — Ben Conniff Luke's Lobster C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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