To the editor:
With everything that’s been threatening the commercial fishing industry lately, I’ve been reading and listening to a book called Salmon Wars, and I keep coming back to the same thing. It’s not just about salmon. It’s about a pattern. These ocean industries get introduced as innovation or progress, but the full impact isn’t really understood at the time decisions are made. By the time people start seeing the consequences, it’s already in place and hard to walk back.
That feels very relevant right here in Eastport, Maine. We’re starting to hear more about underwater data and AI infrastructure, and even if it’s being described as small, that’s usually how it starts. The bigger concern isn’t just one project, it’s what comes next once that door is opened.
What doesn’t sit right with me is who ends up carrying the risk. The people who depend on the water are the ones who have to live with the outcome, but they’re often not the ones driving the decisions. Meanwhile, the benefits don’t always stay local.
For me, the takeaway is pretty simple. We need to be asking harder questions up front, not after the fact. Be consistent about standards, be honest about impacts and actually listen to the people who are going to be affected before anything moves forward.
Maine’s working waters aren’t just space to fill with the next industry. They’re people’s livelihoods and communities. Once something is set in motion, it’s not easy to undo, and that’s exactly why this matters now.
Colleen Brown
Whiting
