July 24, 2025 — A Maine company growing scallops in Penobscot Bay that wanted to expand its operations nearly tenfold got a slightly reduced version of those plans approved by the state on Tuesday, more than three years after starting the process.
Vertical Bay is one of a handful of small Maine aquaculture companies growing scallops, a multi-year process using long vertical lines underneath the water. Its owner-operators, Belfast couple Andrew and Samantha Peters, applied for a 20-year, state-issued lease to increase their operation in the waters west of Hog Island from about four acres to roughly 41.
Scaling up would provide a model for other people interested in growing scallops in Maine and demonstrate how it can be profitable, Andrew Peters previously told the Bangor Daily News.
Peters didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.