PORTLAND

Salmon farmers report best harvest in 10 years

Maine salmon farmers had their most abundant harvest in a decade in 2010, marking the continued rebound of the state’s finfish aquaculture industry.

More than 24.5 million pounds of salmon valued at $76.8 million were harvested from pens off eastern Maine, making it the second most-valuable seafood in the state behind lobster, according to the Department of Marine Resources. It was the highest output since 2001 and is nearly triple the harvest of four years ago, when Maine’s salmon farming industry was reeling.

The industry has slowly rebounded the past few years and is positioned for moderate growth in the future, said Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association. Government forecasts are calling for an increased demand of 1.1 billion pounds of seafood a year in the U.S. alone by 2020, he said.

TIM POND TOWNSHIP

New Hampshire man dies in snowmobile accident

A 39-year-old New Hampshire man died Saturday morning when he hit a snowmobile that was parked on a trail.

Adam Russell, 39, of New Market, N.H., was the fourth snowmobiler in a group of four — all family members or friends — traveling on Tim Pond Road in Tim Pond Township, near Eustis.

The first three snowmobilers had stopped on the trail ahead and Russell apparently did not see them due to low visibility caused by blowing snow, according to Maine Warden Service Lt. Adam Gormely.

Russell, who was wearing a helmet, crashed into a sled belonging to Bob Minnon of Auburn, N.H., and died at the scene.

KITTERY

Mainer swims four miles to benefit lighthouses

A long-distance swimmer braved the frigid ocean waters between New Hampshire and Maine to raise money for lighthouses.

Gary Sredzienski made a 4-mile swim Saturday between Rye, N.H., and his hometown of Kittery to benefit the Maine-based American Lighthouse Foundation and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses.

Sredzienski began his swim at 1 p.m. at Odiorne Point in Rye with stops at Whaleback and Portsmouth Harbor lighthouses before ending at Kittery Point.

Afterward, Sredzienski — who is an accomplished accordion player — and his band, the Serfs, planned to play at a celebration party at Captain and Patty’s restaurant in Kittery.