March 11, 2026 — The Fishermen’s Forum has always been a place where innovation and new opportunities are discussed, and this year’s edition was no exception.
On Saturday afternoon, UMaine postdoctoral researcher Phoebe Jekielek moderated a Maine Scallop Farming Roundtable, which brought together four Maine sea farmers currently growing scallops. The group’s experience and methods ranged from veteran scallop farmer Marsden Brewer from Pen Bay Farmed Scallops to smaller-scale operations such as Greg Foote’s Dirigo Marine Services and Michael Scannel’s Saco Bay Sea Farms.
In the last few decades, Maine Sea Grant and UMaine have dedicated efforts to building a scallop aquaculture sector. With Brewer’s help, they have fostered a relationship with sea farmers in Japan, where scallops are a key product of their seafood industry. A recent trip to Japan offered some of the panelists an opportunity to learn about state-of-the-art technologies and farm setups, and much of that knowledge was shared at the scallop roundtable.
After the panelists introduced themselves and their farms, Jekielek opened the floor to questions from the audience.