In Lobster-Town U.S.A., There’s No Covid-19 But Plenty of Pain
When the industry suffers, the pain ripples.
Blaine Olsen stops at the Stonington Lobster Co-Op to pick up his traps, and stacks them on the stern of his boat prior to a day of fishing.
Photographer: Esme Deprez/Bloomberg
Editor’s Note: Covid-19 has fundamentally changed how we live and work — in ways big and small. “ Redefining Normal” captures how that transformation is playing out across North America, from its metropolises to its rural hamlets and all the towns in between.
Blaine Olsen, a lifelong lobsterman, was navigating his 30-foot boat off the coast of Stonington, Maine, when his sternman, who’s also his wife, yelled above the diesel engine’s din about the pittance the local cooperative was paying harvesters. He shot Ginny a doleful stare for a good five seconds.