Just getting started with oyster farming?
Do you want to know if becoming an oyster farmer is a good fit for you?
Maine Aquaculture Association’s Best Management Practices: Maine Oyster Aquaculture outlines the tenets to successful oyster farming. With topics ranging from practical business sustainability to gaining buy-in from your community, this booklet was sourced from interviews with over 30 successful oyster farmers. This compilation of guidelines and resources will set a path to success for aspiring oyster farmers or help existing oyster farmers brush up on their sustainable business practices.
Best Management Practices: Maine Oyster Aquaculture is broken out into 5 sections, each with an in-depth outline of considerations and tips.
I. Farm Siting Practices
II. Drafting a strong lease proposal
III. Production
IV. Recordkeeping
V. Risk Management
External Resources
The following resources are referenced within the document.
- Maine Aquaculture’s Guiding Principles for Responsible Aquaculture in Maine
- Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center’s free online course on site selection
- Growing Area Classification – DMR website
- Growing Area Classifications and Oyster Farming in Maine
- Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center’s Social Dimensions Work
- DMR Aquaculture map
- Public trust rights
- Maine DMR Lease Application Instructions
- Aquaculture Lease Applications and Forms
- LPA training
- OysterGro guidelines
- New Brunswick Reference Manual for Oyster Aquaculturists
- Lease amendment process
- DMR Lease Application Instructions
- Business Planning Resources
- Vibrio certification
- DMR Aquaculture Announcements
- MAIC Home page
- ECSGA Bird Interactions Page
- Alabama Cooperative Extension Seabird Interactions with Floating Oyster Aquaculture Gear
- Oceanfarmr
- BlueTrace
- miShell
- State of Maine-approved shellfish hatcheries
- New Brunswick Reference Manual for Oyster Aquaculturists
- OysterGro guidelines
- New Brunswick Oyster Stocking Density & Mesh Size Study
- NH Oyster Growth & Mortality Study
- Eastern Oyster Production Overview
- DMR Shellfish Closures Webpage
- Notifications for closure signup
- Vibrio Regulations Decision Tree
- Maine Aquaculture Distribution Mapping Manual
- DMR biosecurity training video
- MAA and DMR Biosecurity and Aquatic Organism Health Slides
- Fishability video
- MAA Risk Management Two-Pager
- MAA Beginners Guide to Risk Management
- MAA Risk Management & Crop Insurance White Paper
- Join Maine Aquaculture Association
- The National Aquaculture Association
- East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP)
- Hurricane Insurance Protection (HIP-WI)
Please direct any questions to christian@maineaqua.org