SEA Maine Issues Recommendations to Strengthen Maine’s Seafood Industry

Augusta, Maine - March 11, 2026 - SEA Maine (Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine) is pleased to announce key recommendations to strengthen Maine's Seafood industry. The strategies were identified as part of a comprehensive assessment of the sector on how to enhance systemic coordination and investments, build climate resilience, and better position the sector for growth. The SEA Maine Steering Committee will use these recommendations to guide future direction, opportunities, and work in the sector.

"This long overdue assessment and the resulting strategies promise to have an enormous impact on Maine's seafood economy," says Togue Brawn, Co-Chair of SEA Maine's Steering Committee and Owner, Downeast Dayboat. "This report provides a clear portrait of inefficiencies and gaps that hamper economic expansion and the success of our industry. By offering real world examples of how folks in similar situations have addressed these obstacles we are able to chart a course for a more vibrant, sustainable seafood economy here in Maine."

Over the course of eight months in 2025, analysts reviewed more than 300 Maine-specific and industry reports, as well as similar research from other regions of the world. They also conducted a comparative analysis, a Steering Committee ideation survey, and 40 semi-structured interviews across the seafood supply chain. The assessment focused on structural limits to growth, technical opportunities, and cultural factors shaping collaboration. Among the factors studied were cold storage, processing, transportation, regulatory, cultural, and financial barriers to identify clear, sequenced pathways for building a modern, efficient, climate-ready seafood supply chain across coastal Maine.

The result is a Strategic Action Plan that identifies three key recommendations:

1) Establish a Logistics Coordination Hub (LCH)

This would be a cooperative of businesses and organizations that coordinate transportation, cold storage, and short-term logistics across the supply chain.

Stakeholders repeatedly emphasized that the single biggest missing element in Maine's seafood logistics is "a keeper of the keys - someone who knows who has capacity, who needs capacity, and how to match the two quickly and equitably." The LCH would formalize the informal, relationship-driven systems that currently dominate coastal logistics. Rather than replacing existing networks, it would add visibility and reliability through structured communication channels. Participating businesses could notify the hub of available truck space, pallet space, ice, or temporary cold storage; others could submit needs. The LCH coordinator would then match capacity with demand, building a repository of real-time information that becomes more accurate and granular over time.

2) Launch a Modular Cold Chain Network

The Network would ensure access to cold storage and ice-making and prevent product-loss risk and regulatory constraints. The Network would require cooperative or nonprofit ownership to manage certification, maintenance, and fee structures. Participating producers could rent capacity as needed, gaining access without incurring the heavy capital burden of individual ownership. The LCH would provide the data needed to prioritize placement - particularly in communities with repeat capacity shortages or persistent transportation delays. This initiative is medium-cost but high-reliability thus could strengthen return on investment.

3) Create a Cooperative Capital Pool

The Cooperative Capital Pool would address the structural financing barriers that prevent small and mid-sized operators from investing in shared infrastructure. This would allow for funds to be distributed all along the coast, where needed most - including rural and emerging aquaculture communities where operators face steep capital requirements, limited loan access, and high ongoing energy costs. The Capital Pool would enable shared investment, shared risk, and shared benefit. Ultimately, the Co-Op Capital Pool could expand production within Maine, increase year-round processing capacity, improve infrastructure utilization through cooperative sharing, reduce financial risk for small producers, and help secure local jobs while boosting economic activity.

"Implementation of these strategic recommendations would have substantial economic impact - especially in Maine's coastal and seafood-dependent communities where supply chains are often fragmented, seasonal and infrastructure-intensive," says Emily Lane, Seafood & Aquaculture Specialist, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs. "Strengthening and coordinating supply chain resiliency, expanding market access and shared investment funding would result in a more sustainable supply of Maine seafood, increased market value for Maine seafood, and new product development and innovation while establishing year-round employment."

"This report provides a blueprint for a resilient seafood economy here in Maine," says Carl Wilson, Commissioner, Maine Department of Marine Resources. "The emphasis on coordination and efficiency, adaptability, energy savings, and shared economic risks and benefits is a forward-looking approach that acknowledges both the challenges and opportunities facing Maine's complex yet vital marine resources sector."

You can read the Full Report and Executive Summary by going to the SEA Maine website. You'll also find robust resources for individuals, businesses, and communities who comprise Maine's seafood and ocean-based economic sector, including the 2024 SEA Maine Roadmap for the Marine Living Resource Economy.

Norm Culture and Communications conducted the assessment and drafted the Strategic Action Plan in partnership with the SEA Maine Steering Committee. The SEA Maine Steering Committee includes approximately 35 members from across Maine including industry, associations, nonprofits, academia, state agencies, and Maine's federal delegation. Maine Development Foundation is the project manager for the initiative.

Financial assistance for this work was awarded in Fall 2024 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the Maine Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF).

"Maine's seafood sector supports thousands of jobs and plays a vital role in the economic strength of our coastal communities," says U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R). "This strategic action plan outlines sensible steps to improve infrastructure, strengthen coordination across the seafood supply chain, and expand access to capital for small and mid-sized operators. By addressing these long-standing challenges, we can help better ensure that Maine's seafood producers remain competitive and well-positioned for future growth."

"Maine's seafood economy has always depended on observations and strategic adjustments - our fishermen and harvesters track the weather patterns day-to-day but also the economic trends they're working within," says U.S. Sen. Angus King (I). "The SEA Strategic Action Plan recognizes that in today's changing climate and global marketplace, resilience also means smarter coordination, shared investment, and modern infrastructure. By strengthening our supply chains and acting on the collective wisdom of those up and down the coast, we can ensure that Maine seafood remains sustainable, competitive, and a cornerstone of our economy for generations to come."

"Maine's seafood industry has been a critical cornerstone of our state's economy-and our shared culture-for generations," saysU.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D)."The comprehensive study as part of the ongoing work conducted by SEA Maine not only provides an eye-opening snapshot of where we are; it offers concrete and actionable ideas for how to grow this critical sector in a healthy, sustainable way. From strengthening supply-chain coordination and building long-term climate resilience, to unlocking shared investment capital, the recommendations laid out in this report provide a clear, strategic blueprint for building a more resilient, efficient, and climate-ready seafood economy-one that will strengthen our state for years to come."

"The fishermen, lobstermen and other harvesters across Maine's working waterfronts are invaluable parts of our economy and our heritage," says U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D). "I support efforts to not only confront the challenges facing our seafood industry but also explore the opportunities to take it to new heights. SEA Maine's new analysis is a worthwhile addition to that important work."

SEA Maine is also administering the Seafood Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (SIAF) through the same source of funding. The Fund makes available $1,000,000 for targeted investments to qualifying energy efficiency conversions and supply chain adaptations to seafood infrastructure in public facilities. The goal of this initiative is to establish greater resilience to climate-related shocks and Maine's seafood economy. A Request for Applications opened March 2, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2026. For more information and the application link, visit the SEA Maine RFPs webpage.