Teresa Johnson
School of Marine Sciences
5706 Aubert Hall
Orono, ME 04469
207.581.4362
teresa.johnson@umit.maine.edu
http://www.umaine.edu/marine/people/directory.php/profile/teresa_johnson

Once upon a time, Maine fishermen and women harvested a diversity of species, from groundfish and herring to lobsters, clams, shrimp, and scallops, depending on market conditions and resource abundance. Today, Maine’s fishing culture is concentrated in 50 coastal communities and is overwhelmingly dependent on lobster, while regulations have restricted other fisheries. Since 1990, the number of vessels landing groundfish in Maine dropped from 350 to 70. At least 72 groundfish permits have been lost, and dramatic changes in management are imminent, leading Johnson to wonder, “How vulnerable are Maine’s fishing communities? What can be done to improve their resiliency to future change?”

These are the questions that federal fisheries managers must ask when assessing the impact of new rules, yet too often they don’t have the right data to answer the questions. This project will develop a participatory, place-based approach for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of Maine fishing communities, documenting threats and resources available to respond to those threats. To understand the forces driving vulnerability, Johnson will work with community stakeholders to identify opportunities and strategies for improving resilience of fishing communities.

Two-year project 2010-2012
Total Sea Grant funds $129,336