Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Change and Changes in Coastal Housing Accessibility on the Maine Lobstering Community: A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

The lobstering industry in Maine is both culturally and economically important to the State of Maine. It is also experiencing dramatic changes both from climate change as well as socio-economic shifts along the coast. This analysis investigates these impacts, asking how shifts in abundance from climate change and changes to the accessibility of housing may be influencing where lobster fishers live and fish. Results found, first, that areas with higher home prices had higher number of lobster licenses, indicating that there may be increased financial strain on coastal fishers. Additionally, the analysis did not find a clear relationship between abundance and the number of lobster licenses in a town, suggesting both the need for further analysis on this, and possibly that the relationship does not yet exist given that severe declines in abundance have not yet occurred in coastal Maine. These findings may help identify areas in which lobster fishers may need increased support from state and community programs like working waterfront protections, as well as strategies for diversifying fisher incomes.