Maine Lobster Community Alliance’s third annual “Chowder’s On” fundraiser Feb. 23 at Kittery Community Center raised about $20,000 to support the lobstering way of life.

Lobstermen in aprons ladled stew fortified by 40 pounds of lobster meat donated by Chrissy D. Lobster Co., Island Seafood, Seaview Lobster Co., and Taylor Lobster Co. Weathervane Restaurant, one of a dozen corporate sponsors, donated clam chowder. And volunteers brought in a potluck of pies and 100 cookies decorated like lobster buoys.

“The lobster stew was simply wonderful,” said Addie Bacon of Topsham.

“Big chunks,” added her husband, John Bacon.

Their friend Betsy Wish of Kittery spearheads this annual lunch and live auction, which led me to wonder if she’s related to a lobsterman. But no — she photographs lobstermen in the summers when she’s out kayaking.

“Initially, I was a little intimidated by them,” Wish said, adding that she’d thank them by bringing homemade peanut butter cookies with Special K for added crunch and protein. Before long, lobstermen looked forward to visits from their cookie lady, and she came to understand the plight of her new friends.

“They’re good guys,” she said. “They’re like their lobsters — hard on the outside, sweet on the inside. And it has been a really tough year for lobstermen, between restrictions, climate change driving lobsters farther north and in deeper water, and the prices of bait and fuel going up. They’re genuinely concerned. It’s not just a job for these guys; it’s a way of life.”

Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the largest and oldest fishing advocacy organization on the East Coast, represents Maine’s 5,000 licensed lobstermen at the state and federal level on issues of regulation and policy.

With the coastal economy from Kittery to Cutler depending on a strong and sustainable lobster industry, residents of those communities want to know how they can help. That’s where nonprofit partner Maine Lobster Community Alliance comes in with fundraising for the Lobstermen’s Relief Fund.

“We recently donated to the family of the two men, Chester and Aaron Barrett, who were killed in Down East, Maine when their boat overturned,” said Kevin Kelley. “And in 2024, after the winter storms wiped out a lot of working waterfront, we donated $10,000 to the Working Waterfront Support Fund, which was able to provide immediate relief to some of these areas that needed to be cleaned up so lobstermen could get to work.”

Until next year’s luncheon, one way to support Maine lobstermen — besides buying lobster, of course — is to shop for merchandise on the Maine Lobstermen’s Association website, mainelobstermen.org. They’ve got classic no-nonsense shirts and hats for serious fishermen. But they’ve also got adorable aprons that say “Because no one comes to Maine to eat chicken. No offense to chicken.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.