HALLOWELL, Maine — The Maine Sea Grant and the Maine Aquaculture Association, which represents 190 commercial aquaculture farms in the state, have released a plan to support farmers crucial to the state's seafood industries for the next decade.
The Maine Aquaculture Roadmap calls for $15 million in added resources over the next 10 years to support industries like mussel, oyster, scallop, kelp, and salmon farmers who work in and around Maine’s shores.
The plan also lays out goals including a streamlined licensing process, better promotion of Maine’s diverse seafood brand, and building on the state’s reputation as a sustainable seafood provider made up of farmers like Fiona de Koning’s family.
"People need food that’s grown sustainably and it’s the sort of thing that gets you to live in really beautiful places; gets you to grow food in a way that you can feel good about," de Koning said. "And it’s the sort of food that does good things for the environment at the same time."
According to the latest aquaculture report from UMaine published in 2017, the industry tripled its economic impact from $50 million to $137 million between 2007 and 2014.