A Pilot Project to Stimulate Seaweed Production on Mussel Farms in Maine

Seaweed is a $6 billion-dollar industry worldwide. Different types of seaweed (also called sea vegetables or marine macroalgae) are harvested for a variety of uses including fertilizer, food ingredients, and nutritional supplements.

Maine’s established seaweed companies are industry leaders, and more people are looking to grow seaweed as a business or for supplemental income.

The top quality and premium price of Maine sea scallops has some people interested in starting a cultured scallop industry in Maine.

On Thursday, July 7 in Belfast, Dana Morse will present information on the advancing technology of scallop aquaculture to shellfish producers, chefs, fishermen, and others. Morse, who has visited scallop farms in Canada and Japan, will present details of various scallop production methods, market information, and business models.

One of the first questions that prospective shellfish growers ask is:

"What do I need to do, for permitting and licensing?" 

Permitting is an important topic.  Whether your talking about a small operation to grow some oysters for yourself and your friends, or 50 acres of mussel longline, you'd be well advised to be thinking about permitting right from an early stage.