The Gulf of Maine has seen immense change over the last few decades, and this change is not slowing down. As waters in Maine continue to warm and yearly catch continues to fluctuate, Maine fishermen are looking for new ways to adapt to these changes. We see aquaculture as a tool for fishermen to diversify their income and continue their professions of working on the water. Through tailored business planning and education, we want to help fishermen add aquaculture to their business models. Here are some of our resources to learn more:
In The News
Fishermen diversify to fill the kelp demand
National Fisherman, 10/3/2023 – “Predominantly grown on the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska – and even in parts of New England – kelp forests have been harvested on a large scale since World War I, when the vegetation was used as a source of potash to make gunpowder. During that time, the harvest was unregulated and destructive to the surrounding habitats. Nowadays, the harvest of kelp is more sustainable due to harvesters only removing the upper portion of the canopy of the algae. The evolution of harvesting kelp may have begun with gunpowder; however, the primary resource from kelp is algin, a product used as a gelling agent in foods, pharmaceuticals, waterproof and fireproofing fabrics, a component in fertilizers, and a healthy ingredient in food. In addition to this array of uses, kelp has been identified as a potential alternative energy source, according to NOAA Fisheries.” (Photo Credit: Shane Stagner) Read more…
Heating Waters Force Change in Industries That Depend on the Ocean
The Wall Street Journal, 9/17/2023 – “Rising temperatures are disrupting ecosystems around the world—and turning Maine lobstermen into kelp farmers. In Maine, lobsters are heading north and some lobstermen are moving into kelp farming. On the West Coast, fishermen are worried about a blob of warm water developing off the Oregon and Washington coastlines, fearing a repeat of an ocean heat wave that devastated salmon harvests from 2014 to 2016. The heating of the world’s oceans is disrupting ecosystems and industries that depend on the sea for life.” (Photo credit: Greta Rybus, WSJ) Read more…
Better connecting the fishing and aquaculture communities in Maine and beyond
National Fisherman, 6/20/2023 – “While the ways that aquaculture can actively support commercial fisheries have been well established, there is nonetheless a tension between certain fishing and aquaculture communities. Though it can be easy to look at these two industries in a monochromatic way, aquaculture can open up brand-new opportunities for fishermen. Aquaculture farms represent another form of income for fishing families and can open up additional opportunities to employ those looking to get involved in jobs on the coast.” Read more….
Seafood industry contributes $3.2B a year to the Maine economy, report says
Maine Biz, 5/31/2023 – “The first-ever report on Maine’s seafood sector as a whole, including downstream contributors, found in 2019, the sector contributed over $3.2 billion in total economic output to the Maine economy. The largest contributors were retail seafood, at $692 million, followed by lobster harvesting at $511 million and seafood processing at $343 million. The sector supported over 33,300 jobs statewide in 2019, including 23,846 in sector industries and 7,300 additional jobs supported by other indirect and induced multiplier effects.” (Photo Credit: Laurie Schreiber) Read more…
Maine islander wants to bridge the gap between fishermen and scientists
Bangor Daily News, 5/31/2023 – “Hattie Train uttered her first word while sitting atop the bar at one of Portland’s funky, wharfside watering holes, where someone had temporarily plunked her diapered bottom down, more than two decades ago. Looking up at a larger-than-life size, red, taxidermied crustacean mounted on the wall, Hattie pointed a chubby finger and uttered a toddler’s approximation of ‘lobster.’ ‘It was something like ‘lober,” Train, now 26, said. ‘To say I’ve spent my whole life on Casco Bay wouldn’t be an exaggeration.'” (Photo Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN) Read more…
Maine’s scallop industry is offering fishermen new opportunities at sea
Bangor Daily News, 1/13/2023 – “Scallop aquaculture in Maine has been developing for the past 20 years – giving former and existing commercial fishermen new job prospects in the blue economy. Maine’s fishermen are facing numerous threats from climate change and changing ecosystems, and aquaculture offers a solution. The state’s wild fisheries have become very focused on the lobster industry, but farming sea scallops gives an opportunity to diversify the seafood harvesting business and increase resiliency for coastal communities built around seafood production. ” (Photo Credit: NOAA) Read more…
Tomorrow’s lobsterman, today: a look into the future from Eastport
The Maine Monitor, 1/7/2023 – “One day, when Elijah was a young teen working toward his lobster license, he watched a documentary about climate change. The film got him thinking about the future, and the potential of aquafarming. He soon enrolled in the Aquaculture Business Development program, and that led him down the Eastern seaboard and back to study various sea farming operations, from oysters to mussels, kelp, and scallops. Kelp caught Elijah’s attention first. He soon invested in some kelp-farming gear, bought some seeds and a limited-purpose aquaculture license, and launched a kelp farm, under the parent company Mainely Seaweed.” (Photo Credit: Michelle Ellia) Read more…