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Maine-farmed shellfish market fastest growing in the nation, report says

While a wide range of species enjoyed positive predictions, the Gulf of Maine Institute report predicted the demand for Maine oysters would grow 50 percent by 2028.

MAINE, Maine — The Gulf of Maine Research Institute released its first report on farmed shellfish since 2016 (thanks to COVID-19) and it showed dramatically high hopes for Maine’s share of those industries.

The report found that the northeast region is the fastest-growing market for shellfish, and Maine is the fastest-growing state in the northeast, projected to generate $20 million in annual revenue by 2028. What’s even better, Carissa Maurin from the institute said demand is still set to outpace supply, meaning the rapidly growing market is far from becoming oversaturated.

"It’s going to only increase within the next five years," she said. "So, it gives the farm shellfish industry really big room to grow, and it shows that oysters and mussels have a great capacity to continue growing and still may not exceed demand for the farm mussels that we have here."

Oysters, in particular, are showing impressive growth in Maine, with the institute predicting demand for them will expand 50 percent by 2028 — the year of the next expected GMRI report.

Ken Sparta, owner of Spartan Sea Farms, has witnessed the industry explosion and agreed it is still a healthy ascent.

"As long as we are all good actors, and as long as we are concerned about the quality of our product and the safety of our product, there can be as many Maine oysters grown as Maine can grow; they’re gonna be the best in the country; and there’s gonna be demand," he said during a Monday trip on his boat in Casco Bay.

Further north on the Damariscotta River, Glidden Point Oyster’s Ryan McPherson acknowledged the same growth, but reminded Mainers that lobster is still very much king.

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