Aquaculture
Maine Office of Tourism
Along sections of the Damariscotta River, lines of rectangular oyster cages quietly bob in the current. Sometimes curious seals and kayakers check them out, and tour boats bring oyster aficionados to watch oyster farmers in bib overalls on barges sort the irregularly shaped bivalve mollusks.
The brackish river’s renowned oyster farms are part of Maine’s aquaculture industry, a growing segment of the state’s historic working waterfronts. Aquaculture farmers cultivate a range of species including oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, sea urchins, salmon, and trout, raised in coastal waters, estuaries, and land-based facilities. Excluding lobster, the industry accounts for the majority of Maine seafood production by value.
Made up primarily of small business owners, the industry provides new opportunities for Mainers to earn a living on the water in the face of increasing pressures on traditional fisheries.
Author: Stephanie Bouchard
