A Change in the Working Waterfront: The Rise of Kelp Farming in Maine

Maine’s coast has long been reliant on a diverse set of commercial fisheries for both its economic and cultural vitality. However, environmental change has led to a fishing fleet that is highly reliant on the lobster fishery and vulnerable to further change. To stay resilient, a growing number of lobster fishermen have started kelp farming in their off-season, creating a new source of income that gives them a secondary option to lobster, as well as improves the environment around them by combatting ocean acidification. This talk will focus on the growing kelp-farming movement in Maine, including how fishermen are leading the charge to produce this environmentally sustainable and nutritious food source.   

Support for the Ted Exford Climate Stewards lecture series is provided by Dave & Loretta (Exford) Hoglund.

James Crimp is the Supply Chain Manager for Ocean Approved, a leading producer of line-grown seaweed food products, where he is tasked with running the company’s seaweed nursery, providing technical assistance to new farmers, most of whom are commercial fishermen, and engaging with all aspects of the growing kelp farming movement in Maine. James has a background in both developmental biology as well as commercial fishing, as he returns each summer once the kelp has been harvested to his home state of Alaska, where he runs a family-owned commercial salmon fishing business.