Report: Maine’s farmed shellfish market is an untapped goldmine
The value of farmed shellfish in the state could more than quadruple over the next 15 years, a new market survey sponsored by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute says.
The study found the state’s farmed shellfish brought in $6.5 million in sales, but that’s only 1% of the country’s aquaculture farmed shellfish. With investments in the industry, including marketing and outreach, the study says sales could balloon to $30 million.
“There’s a lot of hurdles, but they can be overcome,” Jonathan Labaree, the institute’s chief community officer, told Maine Public. “Maine has a great reputation for growing really high-quality shellfish, and that’s partly because our farmers do a really good job of husbanding their crops.”
He added, “But we also have this wonderful cold, clear, clean water that really produces a nice product. We think that Maine can maintain good markets and a premium for their product because of how good it is.”
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