Saving Seafood

MAINE: Maine plans survey around offshore wind sites

October 30, 2026 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is planning a winter bottom trawl survey around the state’s long-planned offshore wind energy research project, aiming to understand how floating wind turbines may affect the ocean ecosystem and commercial fishing.

After major offshore wind proposals succumbed to opposition from the Trump administration, the modest Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area – a lease area of almost 15,000 acres in the Gulf of Maine – remains in limbo, since a potential developer bowed out in March 2026 over that uncertainty about federal policy.

Maine researchers are still working to build a knowledge base around future wind power and fisheries.

The 55-foot dragger Northern Lights is scheduled to set out from Portland to work from around Jan. 11 through Feb. 28, with 37 sampling tows over nine days. The time frame is weather-dependent and could extend into March, according to an agency statement.

The sampling will help researchers examining fish and invertebrate populations “to establish baseline data that they will then compare with findings collected during the construction and operation” of a floating turbine array, according to the DMR.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Trapped: Soaring fuel costs hurt Maine lobster industry before midterms

October 26, 2026 — Lobsterman Steve Train starts every workday before dawn about $1,000 in the hole, a hike in expenses driven by soaring fuel costs that are hammering Maine’s flagship maritime industry ahead of US midterm elections.

Before hauling a single trap from picturesque Casco Bay, north of Portland, the 59-year-old lobsterboat captain counts the costs: Thirty gallons of diesel at $6.49 per gallon — nearly 45 percent up from one year ago — and three drums of increasingly expensive bait at $260 a pop.

“It’s hard to make a business plan with so many uncertainties and so much change,” Train, who works with his brother, told AFP aboard their 36-foot (11-meter) single-engine boat named “Moira Bay.”

They had just finished unloading 430 pounds (195 kilograms) of American lobster at the Portland pier. “We had a good day,” Train said.

But a storm is brewing — and the fuel costs affecting Maine’s lobster industry feature prominently in November’s midterm vote, where the state’s veteran Republican Senator Susan Collins is fighting a strong challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson.

Read the full article at Yahoo! News

MAINE: Restaurants, DTC suppliers highlight Maine lobster during Maine Lobster Week

September 25, 2026 — Numerous seafood purveyors and restaurants have rolled out unique deals during Maine Lobster Week, which runs this year from 19 to 26 September.

Organized by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) in Portland, Maine, U.S.A., the annual Maine Lobster Week celebration invites Mainers and visitors to the Northeastern state to enjoy “one of [Maine’s] most iconic foods while recognizing the harvesters, dealers, processors, restaurants, and working waterfront communities that bring Maine lobster from trap to table,” MLMC said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Boothbay Harbor honors fishermen lost at sea

July 24, 2026 — From Portland to Pleasant Point, 10 communities came together July 21 to honor the lives of commercial fishermen lost at sea in Maine’s first statewide celebration. Boothbay Harbor held a ceremony at the Fishermen’s Memorial with speakers including Gov. Janet Mills, and White and Green Hope Founder and Downeast native Liz Michaud.

Signed into law by Mills in March, Maine Commercial Fishing Remembrance Day was spurred on by Michaud following the deaths of four Downeast fishermen in 2025, and the loss of her 18-year-old nephew Tyler exactly three years ago. Tyler had recently graduated from high school and planned to attend Maine Maritime Academy.

“It wasn’t until I lost my nephew … that it really hit me hard that there isn’t the acknowledgment or appreciation of the danger (of commercial fishing) … Tragedy strikes people in different ways, and that’s the way it struck my heart to take some action,” said Michaud in a pre-event interview.

In addition to honoring lost fishermen, her organization works to improve survival through education, safety awareness, community collaboration and the advancement of lifesaving practices and technologies.

Read the full article at Boothbay Register

Fisherman, Island Institute project aims to reduce financial hurdles to commercial fishing electrification

July 13, 2026 — A pilot program is underway that tests the real-world operational limits of low-voltage electric propulsion in the demanding environments of New England’s working waterfront.

The project, funded and implemented by the Island Institute, centers on the installation and multi-season field testing of a TEMO·1000 electric outboard motor on an 18-foot Rosborough skiff owned by Maine kelp farmer and fisherman Nathan Johnson.

Running through November 2026, the pilot marks a critical milestone, according to TEMO, in a news release: the first systematic commercial testing of the TEMO·1000 system in water temperatures below 45°F, as well as its performance with heavy harvest loads and active fishing operations.

“This project connects directly with local innovators who are addressing both environmental and economic challenges through sustainable aquaculture,” says Nicholas Steenberg, who heads TEMO-US operations in Portland, Maine. “Nathan’s story as a seaweed farmer highlights how these efforts support Maine’s coastal communities and ocean health. It builds authentic relationships and creates visible, relatable examples that can inspire wider adoption across the marine economy.”

As part of its inaugural U.S. community outreach program, French marine tech pioneer TEMO is supporting the year-long commercial pilot program under its new TEMO In Community banner.

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Pilot

New England fishing leaders explore economic opportunities during National Green Crab Week

June 25, 2026 — During National Green Crab Week, leaders from across New England and Maine’s emerging green crab industry gathered in Portland on Wednesday to discuss how to both control the invasive, unregulated species and create new economic opportunities from it.

The Green Crabs Working Summit brought together harvesters, researchers, chefs, and industry advocates who share a common goal: finding productive uses for a species that has become a growing concern in Maine’s coastal waters.

Read the full article at News Center Maine

Northeast Aquaculture Conference Celebrates Innovation, Growth, and Community

February 26, 2026 — The snow and cold temperatures in Portland, Maine, were no match for the energy of nearly 700 people who gathered this year for the joint 26th Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Expo and 45th Milford Aquaculture Seminar. With its record-breaking turnout, the conference highlighted the Northeast’s growing aquaculture sector. In Maine alone, aquaculture has nearly tripled in economic impact since 2007. The meeting was co-hosted by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and NOAA Fisheries Milford Lab from January 7–9, 2026.

Attendees learned from more than 100 presenters during 45 sessions over 3 days. Science presentations covered the latest research on shellfish, seaweed, sea urchin, and finfish aquaculture. A record 38 aquaculture vendors demonstrated the latest innovations in aquaculture gear technology during the largest-ever trade show. In addition, 78 students received support to attend and present their work. The meeting brought industry leaders, scientific researchers, resource managers, extension specialists and students into the same room to discuss the future of sustainable farmed seafood production in the Northeast.

The conference kicked off with a welcome address by Danielle Blacklock, director of the NOAA Office of Aquaculture. She highlighted the growing tailwinds toward expanding U.S. aquaculture production. This was followed by updates from U.S. states and Canadian provinces from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to Virginia. The Maine Aquaculture Association then presented Dr. Chris Davis, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center’s Innovator-in-Residence and co-founder of the meeting, with its inaugural lifetime achievement award.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Largest-ever Northeast Aquaculture Conference reflection of industry’s growth

January 12, 2026 — Over 700 attendees gathered in Portland, Maine, for the largest-ever Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition, which ran from 7 to 9 January, and event organizers said the growth of the gathering reflects the increasing importance of aquaculture in the region.

Founded in 1998, the Northeast Aquaculture Conference (NACE) was created by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC) to bring together multiple facets of the industry, including researchers, producers, equipment vendors, and managers, to collaborate on relevant issues. The event runs alongside the Milford Aquaculture Seminar, an older event which came together under similar circumstances.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Investigation continues into massive fire in Portland’s Old Port

December 29, 2025 — The investigation continues into a fire that tore through the historic Old Port waterfront in Portland, Maine, on Friday, damaging aging buildings and several boats.

Flames and smoke spread easily through structures along the Custom House Wharf, a 19th- and 20th-century hub for Portland’s fishing industry that now includes seafood restaurants, authorities said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Two firefighters sustained minor injuries but did not require hospitalization.

Read the full story at NBC Boston

Fishermen accused of herring fraud face federal trial

March 11, 2024 — On March 7, five individuals charged with a multi-year scheme of selling unreported herring and forging fishing records began trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine. According to The Courier-Gazette, the trial is expected to last at least nine days.

The five defendants who pleaded not guilty are Glenn Robbins of Eliot, Maine; Neil Herrick of Rockland, Maine; Stephen Little of Warren, Maine; Ethan Chase of Portsmouth, N.H., and Jason Parent of Owls Head, Maine and Western Sea Inc. Some additional defendants previously pleaded guilty.

The fishermen and seafood companies were charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice in connection with the multi-year scheme, according to the Penobscot Bay Pilot. The indictment was originally filed on Jan. 27, 2022.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman