Aquaculture has played a small, yet increasing, role in Maine's maritime economy since the 1970s when a handful of oyster, mussel, and salmon farms cropped up along the coast. Today, Maine's mariculture industry is one of the fastest growing in the U.S., with new farmers entering the market at unprecedented rates. There are roughly 150 individual aquaculture leases in the state, with an additional 200 operations in the pre-revenue stage. The current value of the Maine aquaculture sector is estimated to be over $100 million and is expected to expand in the coming years as pre-revenue businesses enter the market.
While this growth has helped to diversify Maine's marine economy, which has become increasingly reliant on the lobster fishery over the past few decades, the recent growth in aquaculture has not been unchallenged. As with any marine industry, aquaculture must compete with existing uses on the waterfront, including commercial fishing, recreation, tourism, and riparian land ownership. The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) has recognized the need to reach out to Maine communities to help them learn more about aquaculture in Maine - what it is, what we grow, and who grows it. The association has devised a communication plan which addresses many of the issues Maine aquaculture faces as a burgeoning industry, including the implementation of an online industry survey and social media marketing strategy designed to target key stakeholders and maximize content impact with a focus on high-quality images and short films to deliver key to target audiences.
This case study is designed to help professionals in the aquaculture field (companies, farmers, trade associations, NGOs, etc.) think about how social media tools might be useful in helping them achieve their goals, how to gain insight from their audience or customers, and how to identify their most effective types of outreach and messaging. While the case of Maine may be unique, many of the lessons learned and strategies taken by MAA can be applied to other settings across the world where professionals are looking to communicate with a diverse audience of stakeholders and customers on a large scale.