Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

A GUIDE FOR SHELLFISH AND SEAWEED FARMERS IN MAINE: WORKING TOWARDS SOCIAL LICENSE TO OPERATE

Emily Whitmore*, Anne Langston Noll, Chris Davis

 

Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

193 Clark’s Cove Rd

Walpole, ME 04573

emily.h.whitmore@gmail.com

 



In an effort to increase integration and understanding of aquaculture in Maine’s coastal communities, Goal 2 of the Maine Aquaculture Roadmap 2022-2032 highlights the need for farmer resources that outline community engagement strategies. Through 30 semi-structured interviews with Maine shellfish and seaweed farmers, we have created an in-depth guide to gaining community support using a social license to operate lens. Rooted in the social license literature—but told through real life stories of farmers who are experiencing social license challenges and successes—this guide is a co-created document. In addition to participating through interviews, farmers also reviewed and edited the final draft of this manuscript so that it is in its most useful form for both beginning and veteran farmers looking for guidance on practical and meaningful ways to engender community support. Results from this project highlight the importance of proactive, ongoing outreach and communication, responsible, aquaculture-specific operating practices, and meaningful community benefits in earning social license from their communities.