Resources Database

If you have been around this business for a while, you’ve probably watched some of the newcomers make the same mistakes you did when you were getting started. ECSGA Executive Director Bob Rheault decided he would try to think of as many of these common pitfalls as he could to help new growers avoid making the same costly blunders. Through the years he has continued to add to the list.

A look at the individual Maine farmers who make a living in the growing industry of Aquaculture.

Providing and promoting lifelong education and learning opportunities for students and professionals, the Algae Foundation seeks to demystify algae by providing unique Algae Academy education modules to bring algae into the classroom, collegiate level courses to prepare the next generation of bioeconomy professionals, and teacher trainings to enhance the science capabilities of our educators.

A variety of tenacious myths have persisted for decades to be presented as facts to the public and Congress. The U.S. fish and shellfish farmer cultures aquatic animals within a very complicated and expensive legal, husbandry and science-driven environment. We believe that critics are unfamiliar with this environment. Our response to these pernicious myths does not lend itself to short, simple answers; although, we have worked to be as succinct as possible.

This non-profit organization helps export Northeast food and agricultural products overseas since 1973. They provides a wide range of services to facilitate trade between local food suppliers and importers around the world including: export education, self-paced training & expert advice, customized export assistance, new market analysis, international marketing &branding, facilitate meetings with international buyers, and a cost-share funding program.

List of the over 200 harbor masters and deputy harbor masters in The State of Maine Harbor Masters Association.

DMR welcomes and encourages comment on aquaculture lease applications. This explains the process, scoping sessions, submitting a comment, speaking at a public hearing and more.

Developed to help growers tap into selling to the foodservice market. Most small growers don’t have an advertising budget, but there are a number of marketing and public relations strategies that can be used to grow sales.

Kelp offers a promising way for fishermen to diversify their income streams in the lobster offseason, and it's also the newest seafood product GMRI verified under their Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® label. The Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® label is a promise that seafood hails from the clean, cool waters of the Gulf of Maine and the fishery or farm is managed in a way that contributes to the long-term health of the resource. The label empowers consumers to buy seafood they can feel good about.

Lists all upcoming aquaculture public meetings, hearings, and scoping sessions and give the date, time, town and location for them.

Fact sheet on aquaculture lease hearings which are an adjudicatory hearing. It also includes the criteria for issuing aquaculture leases.

Reviews quality, consistency, cleanliness, food safety, shape, flavor, year-round availability, timely shipping, attractive packaging and a nice name.

Explains how to participate in a hearing, testimony, questions, public support or opposition, intervenor, and after the hearing.

The aim of this open access book is to review and analyze the goods and services of bivalve shellfish.

This brochure explains the benefits of shellfish aquaculture for the environment including improving water quality, increasing species diversity, removing excess nitrogen, and not needing fertilizers, chemicals, or antibiotics.

A brief overview of what aquaculture is, why people do it, and how people do it in Maine.

Reviews the keys to running a successful business; the four P's of marketing, wholesale distributors, risks, and sales.

Video of a workshop that goes over niche marketing for raw bar cultured oysters, differentiating your product on qualities and adapting your marketing pitch, how to target key buyers and get maximum return.

This brochure explains the benefits of eating locally farmed seafood including freshness, heart-health, food safety, good nutrition, and community benefits.

This brochure reviews the nutritional benefits of farmed shellfish including that they are an excellent source of protein, minerals, A, B-complex, and D vitamins.

This brochure gives an overview on the public health safety precautions in place in the aquaculture industry including the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC).