Augusta, Maine, U.S.A.-based industry-led initiative Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine (SeaMaine) recently awarded a total of USD 1 million (EUR 891,050) in grant funding to five community infrastructure projects statewide.
Projects were identified through the initiative's Seafood Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (SIAF) and will target improvement projects in marine facilities in Tremont, Rockland, Freeport, Swan's Island, and Boothbay Harbor, according to a release by the organization.
“I’m pleased to see these projects benefit from SIAF funding and am optimistic that this funding will result in a stronger, more vibrant future for Maine’s commercially harvested and farmed seafood resources,” SeaMaine Co-Chair and owner of Downeast Dayboat Togue Brawn said.
The largest grant, USD 300,000 (EUR 267,402), will help rebuild the city of Rockland's commercial fish pier in a two-phase project of climate resilience assessments, adaption planning, and infrastructure reinforcement. The pier currently serves around 100 commercial fishing and seafood operations.
The next highest allocation, USD 218,400 (EUR 194,668), will help restore the town of Freeport's wharf by repairing and replacing deteriorating docks and floats on the Harraseeket River's Cove Road Wharf, Commercial River floats, and the Freeport town dock. These facilities support over 60 municipal shellfish license holders, commercial fishermen and lobstermen, aquaculture gear storage, and temporary vessel berthing. SEA Maine said many of these docks were damaged in storms, rising sea levels, heavy use, or from age and the piers, gangway, and floats can all now be replaced.
“Our local fishers and sea farmers create jobs and economic activity on Maine’s docks and piers, but they also provide iconic seafood that elevates Maine’s brand and supports Main Street restaurants and markets up and down the coast,” Town of Freeport Development Director Brett Richardson said. “This SIAF grant provides a critical investment to help sustain and grow Freeport's working waterfront well into the future.”
The town of Boothbay Harbor was awarded USD 193,407 (EUR 172,387) to modernize the old bait-salting and ice-making equipment, led by Harbor Bait with an automated bait-salter and high-capacity flake-ice machine. The town of Tremont was awarded USD 161,500 (EUR 143,944) to retrofit a 1,200-square foot town owned building into a cold storage facility equipped with insulation, weather-tight windows and doors, heat pumps, and electrical workings. Swan's Island was awarded USD 126,693 (EUR 112,920) to renovate a vacant space near Burnt Coat Harbor into offices for the Harbormaster and Shellfish Warden. There will be modernization updates, as well as solar-powered cold storage for fishermen, clammers, and aquaculture operators.
The SIAF program was developed in 2024 and is supported by NOAA's Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) award to the Maine Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) in 2024. GOPIF Director Sarah Curran said SIAF remains an important federal grant to support Maine's USD 69 million (EUR 61.5 million) CRRC grant, especially when repairing storm damage statewide – which were particularly destructive in 2023 and 2024.
“Maine’s working waterfronts are vital to our state’s economy, culture, and way of life. But aging infrastructure and increasingly severe storms – like the ones that ravaged so many coastal communities three years ago – are putting more and more pressure on our fishermen, lobstermen, aquaculture operators, and the many businesses that keep our waterfronts working,” U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) said. “These grants will help communities make much-needed investments in critical infrastructure so they can continue to provide the products, services, and good-paying jobs our state needs to thrive."
