In her 27 years as a nurse at a primary care clinic in Stonington, Stacey Roberts usually only saw fishermen in the office once things had gotten dire — perhaps when their arm had doubled in size or was nearly septic from untreated “bait poisoning,” an infection also known as fish handler’s disease.
She’s long hoped to get them in the door before things get that bad, but that has been challenging for a number of reasons. In December, though, Roberts started a new job as a community health worker focused only on local fishermen, which has made it easier to overcome some of the obstacles.
Her position is part of a pilot project that’s using a unique, locally based setup that backers hope will become a model for other fishing communities.
While Roberts also saw fishermen during her previous role in the Stonington clinic — where she still works per diem for Northern Light Health — the new program is uniquely focused on their needs and preventive care. It works with their schedules, offers free basic services, lets Roberts spend as much time with each person as they need and even allows her to go out in town to recruit potential patients.
Called Healthy Harvesters, it’s a new response to long-running concerns about access to health care for area fishermen. Roberts also sees an opportunity to join forces with other groups on the island to address its social challenges — if the fishermen will come.
“Maybe if we could get them to start taking care of themselves before they get to that point, then everybody in the community, and the fishermen, would be better off,” Roberts said. “But I also understand why they can’t.”
Funded by federal grants, the project is a partnership between the town and groups including the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries and the Opiate-Free Island Partnership.
Most fishermen don’t have health insurance until they’re old enough for Medicare. Younger harvesters often don’t qualify for subsidized programs because they make money seasonally, but can’t afford steep premiums in the off-season or during insurance enrollment periods.
It’s also hard to make and keep appointments with the irregular hours and unpredictable nature of their work, said Shauna Larrabee, co-president of the Island Fishermen’s Wives Association. The nearest hospital is 40 minutes away, in Blue Hill.
If a fisherman did make an appointment, but that day happened to be the first with good weather that week, they couldn’t afford to miss work.
Sometimes, already dealing with the stress of making a living in the industry today, they also tell Roberts they just don’t want to know if something is wrong.
A 2022 study of lobstermen and shellfish harvesters in Hancock and Washington counties found limited access to health care likely contributes significantly to addiction and overdoses as they work through pain and self-medicate. Of 100-plus harvesters surveyed, most reported an injury the previous year, such as frostbite, cuts, falls or strain to their backs, necks, shoulders, arms or hands.
Hancock County had roughly 1,600 commercial harvesters in 2024, according to state data, second only to Washington County.
The Healthy Harvesters program began with a survey of 54 of them in Stonington and Vinalhaven. In Stonington, major concerns included substance use, drinking, mental health and stress, along with musculoskeletal problems. Half of respondents had back pain, and a third had joint problems.
Kimberly Gertz, a researcher from the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, said their work tries to focus on realistic solutions that don’t get in the way of productivity. It’s common advice to get eight hours of sleep, for example, but that’s hard to do on a fisherman’s schedule, so they recommend “strategic napping” throughout the day.
The Stonington pilot project is funded through the summer of 2026. What happens after that depends on available funding, but Gertz hopes it will be successful and replicable. As far as she knows, similar models only exist in two other communities: one in Massachusetts and another in the United Kingdom.
“The most important part is that it’s community-led and fishermen-led,” Gertz said.
Roberts’ services, including blood pressure checks and cholesterol screenings, are free and available at flexible hours. She can also help set goals, create a health plan, fill out forms, get referrals and appointments, navigate care without insurance or find self-pay options.
She’s planning workshops on stretches and conditioning before the season starts to minimize strain or injuries from hauling traps. Existing programs for Maine fishermen have promoted yoga and other exercise programs in recent years.
“There are a lot of people that are willing to get out and help with this stuff, but the trick would be trying to get the guys to come to it once we actually get it going,” she said.
She’s had a handful come in so far for more acute issues, but is hoping to attract more. Some are also used to toughing it out or see chronic pain as part of the job, she said.
“Fishermen can be stubborn, and they have work to do that’s not a 9 to 5 job,” added Larrabee, from the wives association. She thinks they need resources that work with their schedules locally and don’t penalize them.
“I think that’s the most important piece of putting somebody in this position, is somebody that’s familiar with [the community] and therefore knows what the expectations are and when to push and when not to push,” Roberts said.
