The Endangered Lobstermen

As I continue my project The Endangered Lobstermen I am capturing the resilience and uncertainty faced by the lobstering community, highlighting their struggles against environmental and regulatory challenges through powerful portraiture.

My latest portrait took me to Buck's Harbor in Machaisport Maine.  This is where I met Bobby Ingalls who has held a lobster license since he was 12 years old.

A little bit about Bobby in his own words:

“I'm the fifth generation of fishermen in my family and I have two adult boys that are lobstermen. I was first licensed to lobster fish at 12 years old in 1960. The license cost $5.00 with no restrictions. We were old school: used wooden traps, sisal rope, manila rope, a winch head with glass bottle for toggles and wooden buoys. I took over my father’s boat in 1963 and started fishing full time after high school in 1967, and I’m still fishing.

The challenges in the industry are constant every year it is something else, we keep adjusting to make do.”

-Bobby Ingalls

Fifth generation lobsterman

Bucks Harbor, ME