Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
If you would like to send us an article, contact Margaret Stacey
   


Maine’s aquaculture industry currently represents nearly 200 farms and more than 700 farmers who produce premium seafood.

Maine Aquaculture Association Releases Innovative Seafood Distribution Guide

  (UNITED STATES, 3/2/2022)

The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) has released the first of its kind Maine Aquaculture Distribution Mapping Manual, a guide which helps sea farmers compare and contrast the existing and potential distribution channels for their products to best decide how to get them to market.

U.S. consumer demand for seafood is high. Retail seafood sales in the U.S. were up 35% to $7 billion in 2020 compared to 2019, according to market research company Information Resources, Inc.

With roughly 80% of all seafood being consumed in restaurants nationally, Maine aquaculture producers suffered severe loss of market during the early days of the pandemic when restaurants closed their doors. Alternative distribution methods including direct-to-consumer sales gained in popularity and continue to serve as an important channel.

https://admin.seafood.media/cm/photolib/images/download/67059_496x328_72_DPI_0.jpg
The guide helps sea farmers compare and contrast the existing and potential distribution channels for their products to best decide how to get them to market.

“As Maine’s working waterfront continues to face new supply chain challenges, the industry and consumer demand keeps growing,” said Sebastian Belle, executive director, Maine Aquaculture Association. “By nature, Maine’s farm fishing families are open to navigating choppy waters when they need to. It’s our collective responsibility to support their efforts to bring their product to market.”

More than 20 stakeholders were interviewed to inform the manual, including seafood producers, wholesalers, distributors, restaurateurs, trucking companies, and other aquaculture industry members, both in Maine and across the U.S. The manual, which was funded in partnership with FocusMaine, puts forth three main recommendations to farmers, including: 1) diversify sales channels, 2) maintain strong relationships, and 3) keep product quality consistent.

https://admin.seafood.media/cm/photolib/images/download/67062_496x331_72_DPI_0.jpg
Cranberry Oysters crew, Great Cranberry Island, ME. Credit Joseph Conroy III for the Maine Aquaculture Association

 "When the pandemic hit, our distribution chain changed, probably forever,” said Owen Heil, Pound of Tea Oysters and Spartan Sea Farms, Freeport. “We need to be informed about how to navigate shifts in the market to stay in business." Owen and his partner Ken Sparta relied on local deliveries to sell their freshly harvested kelp and oysters when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020.

"This manual is such a valuable tool,” said Toni Small, Ice House Oysters, Port Clyde. “From online sales to pop-ups and farmer's markets, there are many routes to distribution. MAA walks us through the benefits and risks so we can make choices about where to put our efforts."

https://admin.seafood.media/cm/photolib/images/download/67060_496x332_72_DPI_0.jpg

Maine’s cold, clean waters are ideal for growing delicious, sustainable seafood.

Maine’s aquaculture industry currently represents nearly 200 farms and more than 700 farmers who produce premium seafood--fin fish, shellfish, and sea vegetables–in Maine’s cold, clean waters. The sector has been steadily growing in recent years, and its total economic impact has nearly tripled – from $50 million in 2007 to $137 million in 2014 – according to the latest Maine Aquaculture Economic Impact Report.

Sustainable aquaculture has tremendous potential to bolster Maine’s coastal economy, providing good jobs, local food security, and diversification opportunities for working waterfront families. Recently, on behalf of the Maine Aquaculture Hub, Maine Sea Grant and MAA released The Maine Aquaculture Roadmap, 2022-2032, a ten-year plan that proposes four major goals and identifies over $15 million in estimated resources needed to strengthen Maine’s aquaculture sector and working waterfronts over the next decade.

The Maine Aquaculture Distributing Mapping Manual will also serve to inform a collaborative project underway between MAA, the University of Maine School of Economics, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Island Institute, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension that explores in greater detail the costs, volumes, availability, and reach of the identified distribution channels, along with consumer preferences for Maine seafood across the U.S. The ongoing project is funded via NOAA and Maine Sea Grant award number NA21OAR4170086.

The full list of recommendations is detailed in the report, which can be accessed here.

About the Maine Aquaculture Association

The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) est. 1978, is a nonprofit trade association that advocates for Maine’s fin fish, shellfish, and sea vegetable farmers. MAA’s mission is to support the state’s aquatic growers in developing economically and environmentally sustainable business practices, to promote the benefits of aquaculture in the local food system, and to preserve Maine’s heritage of a vibrant working waterfront.

Source: Maine Aquaculture Association


[email protected]
www.seafood.media


Information of the company:
Address: P.O. Box 148
City: Hallowell
State/ZIP: Maine (ME 04347)
Country: United States
Phone: +1 207 622 0136
Fax: +1 207 622 0576
E-Mail: [email protected]
More about:


Location:

View Larger Map



 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE ARTICLES
Bermeo Tuna World Capital to Position Tuna Sector and Local Blue Economy at High-Level Political Forum in New York
Aquaculture Innovation: Experts Address Hidden Challenges of Waterborne Feeding
Automation Revolutionizes Fish Processing: Working For or Against Your Business?
Pangasius Emerges as Strategic Protein Choice for Food Businesses Amid Shifting Consumer Demands
THAIFEX - ANUGA ASIA 2025 Drives Global Food & Beverage Dealmaking in Bangkok
From 'Mission Impossible' to Market Leader: Skretting China Pioneers Top-Quality RAS Feed for Domestic Salmon Boom
BioMar Norway Secures ASC Certification, Bolstering Sustainable Aquaculture Feed Supply
Wärtsilä Unveils Major Leap in Ammonia Engine Efficiency, Promises Near-Zero GHG Emissions for Shipping
Maruha Nichiro Forges Comprehensive Logistics and Business Partnership with SENKO Group Holdings
Ultra Fish Group Strengthens Market Position with Acquisition of Severny Kristall
Nomad Foods Navigates Retail Destocking and Inflation, Reports Q1 2025 Results with Strong Margin Expansion
Tackling FLAG Emissions: A Critical Step Toward Low-Carbon Aquaculture
Smoking success with digital control
Royal Greenland publishes its annual report for 2024
THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2025: Driving Innovation & Global Opportunities in F&B for Asia Pacific
SalMar – Merger with Wilsgård AS and resolution to increase the share capital
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Unveils Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation to Boost Global Food Security
Simplify Feeding Operations with the New Fishtalk 5
Maersk's Logistics Trend Map Identifies Top Ten Disruptors Shaping Global Supply Chains
Supplying healthy and sustainable salmon
More Articles...

Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Argentina's Fisheries Exports until May 2025: Squid Drives Growth, Shrimp Suffers Drastic Fall
Argentina Latest INDEC statistics reveal an 11% year-on-year increase in Argentina's overall fisheries production in May 2025. This growth is primarily due to a "colossal" rise in mollusks (squid), st...
Victory Farms Pioneers Sustainable Tilapia Farming in Africa, Joins ASC Improver Programme
Kenya Kenya's Victory Farms has become the first tilapia farm in Africa to join the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Improver Programme, marking a significant stride towards responsible seafood product...
(Peru's Giant Squid Dilemma: Balancing Conservation and Artisanal Fishing Traditions
Peru While PRODUCE pushes for science-based conservation measures for the giant squid (pota), the decision to implement a fishing ban is creating tension with artisanal fishermen, who see their traditional...
'Red Tuna' in the Grey Zone: Carbon Monoxide-Treated tuna Sparks Global Concern
Worldwide The alluring crimson hue of tuna in sushi and sashimi hides a practice blurring the line between marketing and fraud: carbon monoxide (CO) treatment. Legal in some places but banned in others — ...
 

Umios Corporation | Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2025 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER