WALPOLE, Maine, January 3nd, 2024 – The Maine Aquaculture Hub today opened applications for a new aquaculture training series for active and aspiring aquaculturists who self-identify as women or nonbinary. This 2024 Women in Aquaculture series is hosted in partnership with the Aquaculture in Shared Waters training program, which has helped commercial fishermen and farmers start and improve their aquaculture businesses in Maine for over a decade. The series focuses on targeted skills for women on the water, drawing directly from emerging social science research on the training needs for women in aquaculture. By empowering underrepresented aquaculturists to build skills and meaningful connections, the Women in Aquaculture series aims to foster greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in Maine’s aquaculture sector.
The six-part series will run from February to May 2024, focusing on seamanship and maritime skills, gear and labor practices for different bodies, self-advocacy and safety, community relations and marketing, business financing, and more. In addition to skill-building, the series integrates knowledge-sharing and co-learning to empower participants and build community for women and nonbinary aquaculturists.
“Empowering women aquaculture farmers to diversify their income and innovate on Maine’s working waterfront not only ensures their success as farmers but also promotes economic growth for the industry as a whole,” said Anne Langston Noll, Associate Director of the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center.
“Women have always been an integral part of Maine’s working waterfront, and we’re seeing more and more women enter the aquaculture sector,” says Annie Fagan, a marine extension associate with Maine Sea Grant and one of the directors of this year’s workshop series. “Available research tells us that access to training opportunities can be a barrier for women looking to enter the industry or grow existing businesses. We hope to meet some of their unique training needs while building community for long term support,” she continues.
These workshops will be run by women instructors and topical experts, and are free of charge to participants. Applications are encouraged from self-identifying women and nonbinary entrepreneurs who operate or work for an aquaculture business, those with working waterfront backgrounds who are interested in getting more involved in aquaculture, and participants of previous Aquaculture in Shared Waters courses.
Applications are open now and close January 26th.
More information about the upcoming series, including how to apply, is available on the Aquaculture in Shared Waters website. This series is funded by NOAA Sea Grant through the Maine Aquaculture Hub.
About Aquaculture in Shared Waters
Aquaculture in Shared Waters (AQSW) is a collaboration between the Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA), Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC), Maine Sea Grant (MSG), the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI). The training program focuses on the cultivation of commercially valuable species including oysters, mussels, scallops, and kelp. Students learn from leading industry, regulatory, and scientific experts on fundamental topics like site selection, permitting, animal husbandry, equipment, business planning, financing, marketing, community relations, and more. For over ten years, the AQSW course has served as a vital tool to help fishermen learn to farm the sea, diversify their income, and pioneer a new industry on Maine’s working waterfront. Since the program began in 2013, over 500 students have completed the course, 30 new aquaculture businesses have been established, and 60 have been expanded or retained through economic diversification.
About Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 community development financial institution (CDFI) founded in 1977 with a mission to grow good jobs, environmentally sustainable enterprises and shared prosperity in Maine and rural regions throughout the U.S. One of the nation’s leading CDFIs for over 43 years, CEI has provided $1.46 billion in loans, equity and tax credit financing for 3,039 businesses and projects helping to build livelihoods, wealth and a more equitable, sustainable economy. X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
About the Maine Aquaculture Association
The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) est. 1978, is a nonprofit trade association that advocates for Maine’s finfish, shellfish, and sea vegetable farmers. MAA’s mission is to support the state’s aquatic growers in developing economically and environmentally sustainable business practices, to promote the benefits of aquaculture in the local food system, and to preserve Maine’s heritage of a vibrant working waterfront. X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
About the Maine Aquaculture Hub
Funded by NOAA Sea Grant, the Maine Aquaculture Hub is a network for strengthening aquaculture in Maine, connecting organizations and individuals across the state. Current work aims to address gaps and emerging challenges identified by the aquaculture sector. The Hub is guided by a steering committee consisting of Maine Sea Grant, the Maine Aquaculture Association, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, and the University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute.
About the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center
The Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC) was established in 1988 by the Maine Legislature with a mission to assist in developing economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture opportunities in Maine. MAIC sponsors and facilitates innovative research and development projects involving food,
pharmaceuticals, and other products from sustainable aquatic systems; invests in the enhancement of aquaculture capacity in Maine; serves as a source of educational information to enhance public visibility and acceptance of aquaculture; and encourages strategic alliances tasked with promoting research, technology transfer, and the commercialization of aquaculture research. Facebook | Instagram
About Maine Sea Grant
Maine Sea Grant (MSG) is a federal-state partnership program based at the University of Maine and one of 34 NOAA Sea Grant programs throughout the coastal and Great Lakes states. MSG receives funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is matched by the state of Maine and other non-federal sources. Since 1971, MSG has promoted science and education for the sustainable development, management, and stewardship of Maine’s marine and coastal resources. MSG continues this mission today by supporting marine and coastal research, education, and outreach via a marine extension team with individuals located in coastal communities from Wells to Eastport. X | Facebook | Instagram
About the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences
The School of Marine Sciences is the University of Maine’s center of excellence for all aspects of marine-related research, education, and public service. With more than 30 faculty members, the School of Marine Sciences represents the largest concentration of marine experts in the state of Maine and one of the strongest programs in the United States. Dr. Teresa Johnson and her graduate students have contributed to the Aquaculture in Shared Waters program since its inception in 2013 through extensive social science research.