June 18, 2014 — Maine’s cool, clean ocean waters and its powerful brand make the state a great place for investing in aquaculture, according to panelists discussing startup opportunities in the marine industry.
Fish farming is so efficient that Maine farmers report gross revenues of $100 million to $120 million annually, even though their combined harvest area is about the same size as the Portland International Jetport, said one of the panelists, Paul Dobbins.
Dobbins is president of Ocean Approved, a Portland company that grows kelp, primarily in Casco Bay. He was among several panelists talking this week about opportunities for Maine’s marine industry at the Maine Startup and Create Week, a Portland event showcasing technology and innovation.
Dobbins said 52 percent of seafood consumed by Americans is farm-raised, and nearly all of it comes from overseas. That’s why Maine seafood is considered “local” in markets as far away as California, he said.
Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald