Ceremony for lost fishermen promotes fishing safety

A ceremony July 21 at Lubec's Lost Fishermen's Memorial drew elected representatives, members of the Maine Marine Patrol, families of lost fishermen and community members to observe Maine Commercial Fishing Remembrance Day, which was proclaimed by Governor Janet Mills to honor the memory of the state's many fishermen lost in accidents while fishing. The event at the memorial near the boat ramp on Water Street was conducted by Lubec resident Liz Michaud, founder of Green and White Hope Inc., and attracted a crowd of about 150, "much bigger than I'd hoped for."

The stated mission of Green and White Hope is "working to prevent fatalities among commercial fishermen through safety programs and technology advancement, while also advancing recovery capabilities in support of our Maine communities that rely on the sea." The group was founded after the death of her 18-year-old nephew, Tylar Michaud, in a lobster boat accident in 2023 and takes its name from the buoy colors of the boat.

Michaud kicked off the proceedings by calling up the Marine Patrol honor guard to present the flag. She then read Mills' proclamation and gave a brief overview of the group's mission. Early in her presentation she pointed out, "I would be remiss if I didn't mention the recent controversy" regarding the decision not to add the names of Chester and Aaron Barrett, a father and son from Addison who were lost in January of this year. Because they were transiting from one fishing location in Cobscook Bay to another off Addison and had no gear in the water when their boat went down off Trescott, a strict reading of the monument's guidelines held the pair not to be actively fishing, a requirement for adding names to the memorial. Michaud said she has recently received a message from the president of the Lubec Historical Society apologizing for being unable to participate and stating that the guidelines would be reviewed at an early date. The historical society has custody of the monument but relies on guidelines created by the original founders.

Next up was Bill Case, vice president of the memorial's founding committee, who spoke of the monument's origins. Describing the tragic losses of 2009, when two local vessels went down, the All American and the Bottom Basher, he said "losing five men in such a short time we had to do something." It took seven years and much fundraising, he observed, from "conception to completion." As far as the location, "It had to be here."

Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson announced that four names would be added to the memorial this year, those of Tylar Michaud of Steuben, Jaxson Marston of Addison, Alton Wallace of Milbridge and Dwayne Alley. He spoke of the work of the safety council, which had several members present, and then called for a moment of silence while a wreath was placed on the memorial.

Liz Michaud described an organizational guide that is being developed to provide communities facing a tragedy with guidance on dealing with it, based on best practices. "When something happens," she explained later, "there's never a shortage of volunteers looking to help out. But too often communities lack experience in organizing these volunteers, so they are not utilized as well as possible." She then introduced partner organizations with various specialties.

John Roberts of Fishing Partnership Support Services spoke of developments in life jackets – PFDs or personal flotation devices. Not long ago, he said, fishermen found them ungainly, impeding their work, so they avoided using them. As work progressed on new designs, he received input from working fishermen "on what worked and what didn't work," allowing them to be developed specifically for their usage, to the point where "now 50% use them."

Patrick Shepard of REDDE Marine Safety Systems of Deer Isle described an automated man-overboard system that would recognize when a person is in the water and take action, beginning with shutting down the engine and transmitting GPS information so that rescuers "could go right to them."

Monique Coombs of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association spoke for family and community support. "We want fishermen to know they're not alone. The wife of a fisherman is a fisherman, too."

State Rep. Tiffany Strout of Harrington admitted, "This is a long title, but you know I like to talk," as she spoke of LD 1708, "An Act to Create the Commercial Fishing Fund to Further Develop Training and Provide Equipment to Recover Ships and Other Watercraft and Persons in Distress or Lost at Sea." She explained that this would be a depository for funds from outside sources and donations to be used for community support and to help acquire safety equipment. The bill, which she sponsored this year, has passed the legislature and has been signed by Governor Mills. She also briefly mentioned the recent controversy by observing that moving a boat back to its homeport is "part of fishing."

The controversy was also addressed on social media early on July 21 by a member of the Barrett family, who posted, "Today is not about the engraving decision, it is about remembering all lost lives at sea."

Ann Marie Sokoloski of Sogelco International gave a reading and closed the ceremony, which was followed by a reception at the Water Street Tavern.