An aerial view of the harbour of Stonington, Maine. After two devastating storms hit Stonington in January, plans are multiplying to raise and fortify wharves, roads and buildings. But even with detailed plans and federal funding, fishermen remain anxious about what lies ahead. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
WHEN Travis Fifield decided to raise his lobster wharf by nearly half a metre a few years ago, some thought he was going overboard.
The fourth generation to run Fifield Lobster in Stonington, Maine, he faced scepticism as he prepared for the rising seas and violent storms he knew climate change would bring.
Uh-oh! Daily quota reached.
Under threat from climate change
Dale Combs (right), dock manager for Fifield Lobster, helping to unload freshly caught lobster after a day of fishing in Stonington. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
Dale Combs, dock manager for Fifield Lobster, a commercial wharf and seafood wholesale dealer in Stonington, Maine, helps unload freshly caught lobster from Capt. Kathy Lymburner and Gunnar Lymburner, after a day of fishing in Stonington, Maine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
The town centre of Stonington. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
Stonington, Maine, on Sept. 2, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
Stone blocks are anchored to the dock at Fifield Lobster in Stonington . — ©2024 The New York Times Company
Stone blocks are anchored to the dock at Fifield Lobster in Stonington, Maine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
For sale signs dot the compound of a house. Fishermen are struggling to make ends meet as they are pouring money into repairing storm-damaged docks. — Photos: ©2024 The New York Times Company
The harbor of Stonington, Maine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
Linda Nelson, Economic and Community Development Director for Stonington.
Linda Nelson, Economic and Community Development Director for Stonington, Maine, stands for a portrait at Fifield Lobster, a commercial wharf and seafood wholesale dealer, in Stonington, Maine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
The harbor of Stonington.
The harbor of Stonington, Maine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Tristan Spinski/The New York Times)
