Maine delegation flexes muscles on behalf of aquaculture farmers

File photo Courtesy / The Island Institute In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, members of Maine's congressional delegation note that seaweed and other aquaculture farmers in the state rely heavily on the restaurant industry to stay afloat.

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By Renee Cordes

Members of Maine's congressional delegation are pressing the Trump administration to provide relief for the state's aquaculture farmers, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Like other farmers across the country, aquaculture farmers in Maine have been hit hard by virus-related closures, particularly in the restaurant industry, says the April 27 letter, addressed to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and signed by U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, and Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District.

Their letter urges federal relief on behalf of Maine seafood farmers who cultivate a wide range of products including oysters, mussels, seaweed and scallops. All rely heavily on selling to restaurants, which are taking a big hit during the crisis.

The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, for example, estimates that 90% of oysters — sales of which brought in $11 million for Maine farmers last year — are eaten in restaurants.

"With the closure of food service establishments across the country due to mandated public health measures, Maine aquaculture farmers are in dire need of assistance," the lawmakers say in their letter.

They also point to a recent survey of more than 500 U.S. aquaculture companies in which 90% said their farm or business had been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and only about a third (34%) expect they can survive three months with no outside help.

"Maine’s aquaculture industry has undergone significant growth and diversification in recent years, creating new jobs and economic opportunities in our state," the congressional members write. "We are committed to ensuring that our state’s growing industry remains stable throughout this unanticipated downturn. As the Department works to distribute CFAP funding, we urge you to ensure aquaculture farmers are among those eligible to receive much needed direct relief from USDA."

Briana Warner, CEO of Saco-based kelp company Atlantic Sea Farms, told Mainebiz she welcomed the intervention from Maine's legislative representatives in Washington, D.C.

"The aquaculture industry is more essential than ever in these uncertain times," she said. "The industry provides opportunities for income diversification for fishermen and coastal communities in the face of climate change, and it is essential that these opportunities continue to grow."

She added: "I am inspired and grateful for our delegation and their tireless effort to ensure that Maine's aquaculture industry is supported during this crisis so we can come out on the other side of this and continue to increase economic resilience along our coast."