The Maine aquaculture sector has seen rapid growth in the last 15 years and is looked to as an area of economic development potential for the state. While there are many actors engaged in aquaculture development, there is less clarity around whose priorities are shaping the direction of the sector, how those priorities have evolved over time, and who benefits. Our study sought to answer the following question: Who has shaped aquaculture development priorities in Maine, and how? Through the analysis of public testimony submitted in response to aquaculture-related bills before the Maine legislature between 2017 and 2023 and aquaculture grant funding received by Maine organizations since 2017, we categorized the role of different actors and priorities shaping aquaculture development in Maine.
Our analysis of testimony submitted in response to aquaculture-related bills found consistent participation by a handful of actors (state agencies, advocacy groups, and NGOs) commenting on multiple pieces of legislation. Aquaculture growers and private citizens accounted for 33 and 27 percent of the testimony submitted respectively, but were concentrated largely on a few particularly contentious pieces of legislation. We found a dramatic increase in aquaculture-related legislation in 2023, which was likely in response to a few contentious aquaculture projects that garnered widespread public attention. We found that the two entities that submitted testimony most frequently – the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Aquaculture Association– achieved their desired outcomes (e.g., bill passed or failed) on the majority of bills for which they submitted testimony, and that these two actors were nearly always aligned in their positions on bills before the legislature.
Our analysis of funding found that while the largest number of grants were awarded to aquaculture farmers (43%) followed by academic or research institutions (29%), the greatest proportion of funding went to institutions (68%) with farmers receiving 15% of the total amount awarded. Looking at which aquaculture species were funded, we found that projects focused on oysters (24%) and multiple species (21%) received the greatest number of grants, while the greatest proportion of grant funding went toward seaweed (46%) and finfish (16%) focused projects. This analysis provided one lens through which to understand the funding landscape, but was limited in the amount of information that was publicly available and eligibility and other criteria varying by grant opportunity.
Aquaculture priorities as articulated by the state of Maine, and more recently by collaborative entities like the Maine Aquaculture Hub, have shifted over time but have maintained a strong focus on economic and aggregate growth of the sector, despite evidence that Mainers hold a variety of other values related to aquaculture development. Our analysis and collective experience working with the aquaculture sector offers insight into whose priorities are included as aquaculture is developed and the implications for equity and inclusion in the Maine aquaculture sector.