Luke’s Lobster is committed to supporting coastal communities at home in Maine as well as our communities in cities throughout our shack footprint. We consistently engage with and advocate for our stakeholders across Maine’s coasts, from 6th generation fishing families to first generation immigrants who are the backbone of Maine’s seafood production industry. Luke’s is committed to equity in our food systems. We’re tackling inequities in food access by building a network of free fridges across our shack footprint in communities that lack access to healthy food. And we’re working to remove structural barriers for traditionally marginalized groups in the food industry through internships and student lobstering programs for BIPOC youth, and a preferred purchasing policy that supports BIPOC and women entrepreneurs by sourcing things like cornmeal from a Somali immigrant coop farm, beers from Black-owned breweries, desserts from Black women-owned bakeries, and more.
Island Institute
The Island Institute has been working since 1983 to sustain Maine’s island and coastal communities, fostering exchange of ideas and experiences to further the sustainability of the coast. They’ve been a long-time partner for Luke’s, first on kelp aquaculture research, then on efforts to decarbonize Maine’s marine sector, and culminating in a partnership to grow Luke’s Online Market to bring a diverse range of sustainable Maine species to doorsteps around the country when fisheries needed a jolt of relief and resiliency to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. They continue to be a partner in looking to the future of our coastal economies and environment and helping innovate paths to success for all.
Maine Coast Fisherman's Association
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association works to enhance the sustainability of Maine’s fisheries by advocating for the needs of community-based fishermen and the environmental restoration of the Gulf of Maine. Luke’s frequently partners with MCFA on initiatives to promote underutilized fish caught sustainably in the Gulf of Maine, as alternatives to more popular species that are often overfished, or caught overseas in areas where illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is rampant. Luke’s also partners with MCFA’s Fishermen Feeding Mainers program that buys underutilized fish and donates it to food insecure communities.