A turf war at sea
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 3:49 PM by Ian Sager
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Notes from the field
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
It looks perfectly peaceful. There's not a shred of cell phone service, the roads are gravel and the views are to die for. But on the tiny island of Matinicus, 20 miles off the coast of Maine, the waters are anything but calm and folks are in a boil over the region's bread and butter. With lobster prices at a 20-year low, the industry is facing tough times. Fuel and bait expenses are up while the dock price -- what a lobsterman gets for his catch -- is in the neighborhood of $2.50 a pound. That's almost 50-percent less than just two years ago.
Maine Lobstermen are free to drop their traps anywhere in state waters and more of them have been doing just that near Matinicus recently. The town's full-time residents, fewer than 50, fear for their livelihood and are asking for an unusual measure of protection. In a time of economic hardship everywhere, it's easy to understand their desire for relief, but is it fair? The very question has resulted in a rare display of violence on the island. With a community worried its legacy is on the line, we'll take a closer look at the issue as we travel to Matinicus tonight on Nightly News.
Click here to watch the report that aired on Nightly News.
Fifth generation Lobsterman Clayton Philbrook and NBC's Janet Shamlian in Matinicus, Maine
Part of the day's catch in the waters just off Matinicus.
