Maine Fishermen's Forum 2026
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
Shellfish Advisory Council Updates and Priorities Discussion
This session will feature updates on recent priorities and initiatives from the Shellfish Advisory Council (ShAC) and partners. Topics will include a primer on the composition of the ShAC and how it operates, an overview of recent accomplishments, results from an economic impact study of the shellfish industry, safety and emergency response considerations and resources, and issues surrounding shellfish enforcement. Each panelist will provide a brief presentation followed by a facilitated discussion with the audience to seek input on current and future priorities for the ShAC.
Host: Jessica Gribbon Joyce
Moderator: Marissa McMahan, Senior Director of Fisheries, Manomet Conservation Sciences & Vice Chair, ShAC
Panelists: Jessica Gribbon Joyce, Program Manager, Local Catch Network & Former Chair, ShAC
Jeff Auger, Vice President of US Farming Operations, Atlantic Aquafarms & ShAC Aquaculture Representative
Tora Johnson, Sustainable Prosperity Initiative Director, Sunrise County Economic Council & ShAC Public Representative
Kanae Tokunaga, Senior Scientist, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Ben Cotton, Research Associate, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Michael Boucher, Frenchmen’s Bay Regional Conservation Shellfish Warden
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Camden Room)
Real-World Electrification on the Working Waterfront
This panel brings together Maine shellfish farmers and marine operators who are actively electrifying their daily operations—and learning what works through hands-on experience. Panelists will share practical insights from deploying electric and solar-powered equipment on working waterfronts, including electric work boats, solar-powered oyster barges and work floats, battery-powered winches, electric hydraulic systems, work trucks, and off-grid refrigeration. These early adopters are demonstrating uses of marine electrification that will have relevance and benefits to the commercial fishing industry.
Panelists include Abby Barrows (Deer Isle Oyster Company), Max Burtis (Bombazine Oysters), Chad Strater (The Boat Yard), Willy Leathers (Maine Ocean Farms), Stuart Ryan (Love Point Oysters), and Alicia Gaeiro (Nauti Sisters Sea Farm). Together, they represent a range of approaches—from DIY systems to fully engineered commercial solutions—showing how electrification can be adapted to farms of all sizes, budgets, and operational needs.
The discussion will focus on why these operators chose to electrify, how the systems perform in real working conditions, lessons learned during design and deployment, and where electrification delivers the greatest operational and economic value. Time will be reserved for audience participation, including discussion and a practical framework to help attendees identify electrification opportunities within their own operations and begin building a case for transitioning away from fossil-fuel-powered equipment.
This session is designed for fishermen, farmers, and marine businesses interested in proven, practical pathways to cleaner, quieter, and more resilient waterfront operations.
Host:
Nate Johnson
Moderator:
Nick Planson, Founder & CEO, Shred Electric
Panelists:
Abby Barrows, Owner and Marine Scientist, Deer Isle Oyster Company
Max Burtis, Co-Owner, Bombazine Oysters
Chad Strater, Owner, The Boat Yard
Willy Leathers, Co-Owner / Director of Farm Operations, Maine Ocean Farms
Stuart Ryan, Farm Manager, Love Point Oysters
Alicia Gaiero, Founder, Nauti Sisters Sea Farm
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (Camden Room)
The Latest on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Populations and US Quota Shares
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), of which the United States is a member by treaty, met in November for its annual meeting to set new total allowable catches (TACs) for bluefin tuna and addressed additional matters related to other tunas, billfishes and pelagic sharks. Based on genetic data, ICCAT manages bluefin tuna as two stocks, a western and eastern stock. Based on the ICCAT-adopted science-to-management process (“management procedure”), the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna TAC was expected to be reduced. However, the United States built upon more than a decade of scientific data collected by western Atlantic bluefin fishing nations to provide a science-based justification to increase rather than decrease the western Atlantic bluefin tuna TAC. This was the result of rigorous negotiations that resulted in a net quota increase of 17% for the United States. Eastern Atlantic bluefin fishing nations also procured a substantial TAC increase.
This seminar will provide the latest on the status of the Atlantic bluefin tuna resource (including how fishermen’s cooperative research is directly improving scientific understanding of stock dynamics), an explanation of how ICCAT allocates quota, and steps the Administration is taking to address this imbalance and advance US fishermen’s interests.
Host: Nate Johnson
Moderator: Nate Johnson, Shearwater Ventures, F/V Nattie J, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Panelists: Drew Lawler, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for NOAA International Fisheries and the US head of delegation to ICCAT.
Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator
Walt Golet, Associate Professor UMaine School of Marine Sciences; Director UMaine Pelagic Fisheries Lab and Chair of the US ICCAT Advisory Committee
Mike Pierdinock, charter boat fisherman, advisor to the NMFS Atlantic HMS Advisory Panel and the New England Fisheries Management Council representative to the US ICCAT Advisory Committee.
Capt. Pete Speeches, F/V Erin & Sarah
10:35 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
Reframing the European Green Crab: Challenge to Opportunity
As ocean temperatures rise, the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) has expanded across New England, increasing ecological and economic pressures on coastal ecosystems and commercial fisheries. At the same time, growing interest among harvesters, aqua culturists, chefs, and the seafood industry is driving efforts to develop fisheries and markets for this largely untapped resource.
This seminar will offer a brief State of the Industry overview, highlighting key challenges and opportunities. Topics include green crab economics, existing and emerging markets, revenue potential and break-even considerations, regulatory pathways, and value-added opportunities for product innovation and multicultural markets. A panel of experts will share current insights and spark discussion around next steps and emerging ideas.
Host: Dianne Tilton
Moderators: Dr. Marissa McMahan, Senior Director of Fisheries, Manomet
Dr. Hillary Smith, Assistant Research Professor, University of Maine
Panelists: Dr. Gabriela Bradt, Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Specialist, NH Sea Grant
Mary Parks, Executive Director, greencrab.org
Mike Masi, Owner, Shell & Claw
John Painter, Owner, Maine Green Crabs
Liam Fischer, Owner, Maine Garum Co.
Marpheen Chann, Executive Director, Khmer Maine
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
Statewide Soft-Shell Clam Recruitment Monitoring Network
The Soft-Shell Clam Recruitment Monitoring Network, launched in 2020 by the University of Maine at Machias (UMM) and Downeast Institute (DEI), tracks the long-term decline in Maine’s commercial soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) landings amid, climate stressors, habitat shifts, and predation. Each spring, prior to the time of clam spawning, we deploy passive collectors at two intertidal flats per community across 11-12 sites from Wells to Sipayik—spanning southwestern, Midcoast, and Downeast regions. These collect settling larvae, revealing recruitment potential. In fall, collectors are retrieved, and contents washed through sieves with 1-mm apertures to quantify juvenile densities. Paired bottom core samples from adjacent areas on each flat enable us to compare settler survival against predation (e.g., green crabs) and other mortality, linking potential stock to fishery yields. This dual approach yields robust indices of recruitment success and bottlenecks. This talk presents 2025 results alongside 2020-2024 trends, highlighting spatial variability, interannual fluctuations, and correlations with environmental drivers like temperature and predator abundance. Findings are intended to inform clam management, restoration strategies, and harvester decisions, supporting our second most valuable fishery ($15.5 million in 2024) behind lobster.
Host: Dianne Tilton, Maine Fishermen’s Foru, Board of Directors
Moderator: Brian Beal, Professor of Marine Ecology, University of Maine at Machias and Director of Research, Downeast Institute
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Camden Room)
Safety Preparedness for Fishermen
The safety of fishermen and their vessels can be significantly improved through advanced preparation and training. This session will feature firsthand accounts from fishermen who have experienced serious safety challenges and those who have completed safety training. Participants will gain valuable insights into available safety training programs, equipment maintenance services, emergency preparedness, life jackets, and first aid techniques.
Host: Jen Levin
Moderator: Dan Orchard, Executive Vice President, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Panelists: John Roberts, Vice President of Safety Training, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Liz Michaud, President, Green and White Hope
Pat Shepard, Co-Owner, REDDE Marine
Shannon Eldredge, First Aid Program Coordinator, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Tim Barrett, Captain, F/V Odessa
Ward Byrne, Captain, F/V Sugar Daddy
Captain Clint Prindle, USCG Northeast District, Chief of Staff
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
Shellfish Focus Day Poster and Networking Session
This informal session will allow time for Shellfish Focus Day attendees to network with harvesters, scientists, managers, municipal staff, and others working or volunteering in the shellfish community. There will also be posters and tables with gear demonstrations highlighting current research, monitoring, and technology. Attendees will be able to walk around to learn about these projects, socialize with others in the shellfish community, and connect with speakers and panelists who presented earlier in the agenda.
Concurrently, Maine DMR will host an interpretive booth during the poster session. DMR staff will demonstrate how to build a survey quadrat box and sift and measure clam seed and distribute one-page guides on these and other shellfish management tools. This is directed toward municipal shellfish officials and public members who wish to participate in municipal shellfish management. DMR will also provide free survey quadrat materials for municipal shellfish staff wishing to build one for use in their town.
This informal session will allow time for Shellfish Focus Day attendees to network with harvesters, scientists, managers, municipal staff, and others working or volunteering in the shellfish community. There will also be posters and tables with gear demonstrations highlighting current research, monitoring, and technology. Attendees will be able to walk around to learn about these projects, socialize with others in the shellfish community, and connect with speakers and panelists who presented earlier in the agenda.
Host: Jessica Joyce
Moderator: Marissa McMahan, Senior Director of Fisheries, Manomet Conservation Sciences
Panelists: Emily Stone, Brunswick Coastal Resources
John Fisher, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Tora Johnson, Sunrise County Economic Council
Jonathan Labaree, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Helena Tatgenhorst, The Nature Conservancy
Ash Oh, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jessie Batchelder, Manomet Conservation Sciences
Ben Wahle, Maine DMR Nearshore Marine Resources
Ben Cotton, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Kanae Tokunaga, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Annie Fagan, Maine Sea Grant
Liam Fisher, Maine Garum Company
Hannah Wolf, Colby College
Gabriela Bradt, New Hampshire Sea Grant
2:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Camden Room)
Improving Safety for Single-handed Fishermen
The Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council, a volunteer council, established by the Maine legislature and supported by the Department of Marine Resources, is pleased to sponsor this workshop. In Maine, single-handed fishing takes place in the clamming and lobstering fisheries. Being alone in the coastal flats or offshore, whether hand-harvesting or fishing from skiff or boat, can be life-threatening. We have assembled a panel of individuals who have first-hand experience with the challenges of single-handed fishing or knowledge related to training, self-rescue, electronic and non- electronic equipment, and communication. Through case studies or scenarios, brief presentations and audience participation, we will address single-handed fishing issues and focus on strategies for improving the safety of single-handed fishing. During the session we will raffle off several safety items. Single-handed fishermen we welcome you! Please join us and add your voice to the discussions.
Host: Jen Levin
Moderator:
Sgt. Mark Murry, Maine Marine Patrol, Division II Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
Panelists:
Liz Michaud, Founder/President, Green and White Hope, Inc.
Chris Harrison, Safety Specialist, Chase, Leavitt & Co.
Josh Duym, co-owner, REDDE Marine Safety
Ann Backus, Instructor in Occupational Health, and Secretary, Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
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FRIDAY SEMINAR DESCRIPTIONS
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
MLA Annual Meeting
Join the MLA for its 72nd Annual Meeting. The meeting topics will include looking back on the challenges and progress of Maine’s lobster industry in 2025 and looking forward to the policy landscape in 2026. Audience questions and comments are always encouraged. MLA is still considering options for our keynote speaker and panelists, but we plan to offer an informative session that addresses the issues that are important to Maine’s lobster industry, commercial fishermen and our coastal communities.
Host: Katie Werner, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Patrice McCarron, Executive Director Maine Lobstermen’s Association
Panelists: in progress
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Golf Club)
Regional Compensation Fund for Offshore Wind: Update & Engagement Session
Join us for an interactive workshop designed to give fishing community members, for-hire operators, and other stakeholders a direct voice in shaping the emerging regional claims process for offshore wind fisheries compensation. After a year of work with the Design Oversight Committee (DOC) and partners across the East Coast, the Regional Fund Administrator (RFA) will share a brief update and walk through key design questions. Your insights, experience, and feedback are essential to building a compensation claims process to offset potential losses and/or costs from offshore wind development that is responsive to the needs of fishing communities. This session is a chance for you to tell us what will make this program fair, workable, and reflective of the realities in your fishery and port. Please join us and help guide the next phase of this important effort that is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2026.
Host: Sheila Dassatt
Moderators: Laura Singer, Principal, SAMBAS Consulting LLC
Panelists: Deirdre Boelke, Principal, Fisheries Insight Network LLC
Vincent Balzano, Owner F/V Northern Lights, member of DOC
Erin Wilkinson, Policy Coordinator, Maine DMR, member of DOC
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Camden Room)
January 2024 Coastal Flooding, Bad Luck or Things to Come?
This session will provide a detailed review of the meteorological factors that lead to major coastal flood events. Coastal flooding poses an existential threat to Maine’s fishing and aquaculture community, and the back-to-back storms in January 2024 highlighted the vulnerability of our low-lying coastal infrastructure.
We will discuss what “Coastal Flood Alignment” means in the Gulf of Maine and how this phenomenon created near-perfect storm conditions in January 2024. We will also briefly cover the scientific predictability of increased “Sou’Easter” storms of similar magnitude. We will conclude with a review of current coastal flood resources and predictions that the community can use to help mitigate impacts from future events.
Host: Tom Duym
Moderator: Donny Dumont, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Gray/Portland Maine Forecast Office
Panelists: Hannah Baranes, Ph.D, Coastal Scientists, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Rockport Room)
Maine Lobster Marketing Annual Report
In its annual presentation to the industry, Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative will share results from the 2025 marketing program and exciting plans to increase demand for Maine Lobster in 2026. Panelists will provide information on all elements of the marketing program including social media, public relations, events, issues management, and special projects. Audience members will have ample opportunity to ask questions about the program.
Host: Katie Werner, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Marianne LaCroix, executive director Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative
Panelists:Marianne LaCroix, Executive Director, MLMC
Brian Langley, Chair, MLMC Board of Directors; Owner, Union River Lobster Pot
Amy Tessendorf, Senior VP, Weber Shandwick
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Rockland Room)
Eastern Maine Skippers Program Student Project Posters
Eastern Maine Skippers Program students will present their research and findings in reference to their passion projects. This seminar will highlight projects and feature posters that detail specific learning relative to EMSP projects focused on; regulations, green crab fertilizer and culinary arts, aquaponics, cod coils for ground fish, sea water temperature changes and lobster catch in the Gulf of Maine and its effects, micro-plastics, aquaculture and raising oysters in the Union River, career research specifically the in the U.S. Coast Guard. We will also have Drill Conductor videos available for viewing. This seminar will provide opportunities for a dialogue and critical feedback between the students, fishermen and those that work within the marine industry. This valuable insight and knowledge will help guide and advance individual student projects for critical feedback that will help them further their investigations. This venue provides the perfect atmosphere for collegiality among the Skippers schools from Knox, Hancock and Washington counties.
Host: Tom Duym, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Thomas Duym, Fisheries Education Specialist, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries
Panelists: Eastern Maine Skippers Program 2026 schools included:
Deer Isle-Stonington High School, Ellsworth High School, George Stevens Academy, Jonesport Beals High School, North Haven Community School.
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Golf Club)
Funding, Tools, and Programs for Maine’s Working Waterfronts
Working waterfronts face a number of challenges ranging from storms to economic change, and yet, they provide critical infrastructure for the longevity of our coastal communities. The Maine Working Waterfront Coalition will host a session to provide attendees with a growing number of tools and programs available to fund, preserve, expand, and shore up Maine’s public and private working waterfronts.
The session will include an overview of available financial support tools for communities and working waterfront businesses as well as updates on work happening in the state to understand challenges facing our coast, develop new tools and programs, and meet the needs of the industry. Municipal officials, waterfront businesses, and members of the Coalition – including but not limited to Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Hancock County Planning Commission, Island Institute, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Coastal Program, Sunrise County Economic Council, and the Town of Stonington – will present stories and examples of successful working waterfront protection and resilience efforts.
Presentations and Q&A will be followed by an opportunity to mingle, network, ask further questions of specific presenters and Coalition members, and provide written input to help the Maine Working Waterfront Coalition set priority actions for the future.
Host: Jacob Bowie
Moderator:Nick Battista, Chair, Maine Working Waterfront Coalition; Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer, Island Institute
Panelists:John Church, Harbormaster, Town of Jonesport
Jessica Gribbon Joyce, Program Manager, Local Catch Network; Former Principal, Tidal Bay Consulting
Rob Leavitt, Harbormaster, Town of Southwest Harbor
Sierra Millay, Resource Manag
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Rockport Room)
Maine DMR Lobster Science Update
Over 80% of American lobster landings in the US come from Maine lobster boats fishing across the coast. The Maine DMR Lobster Monitoring and Research Program collects demographic data on the Gulf of Maine lobster population at different life stages through multiple long-term monitoring surveys including the Landings Program, Settlement Survey, Inshore Trawl Survey, Commercial At-Sea Sampling, Ventless Trap Survey, and Larval Survey. These data are used in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission American Lobster Stock Assessment to inform the management of this valuable fishery. Maine DMR staff will provide the annual update of all monitoring programs, new research including the Fishery Directed Data survey, and discuss trends over time. The Division of Marine Mammal Research will provide an update on North Atlantic right whale research.
Host: Melissa Smith
Moderator: Kathleen Reardon, Lobster Fishery Scientist Maine DMR
Panelists: Marissa DeCosta, Landings Scientist, Maine DMR
Robert Russell, Lead of Settlement Survey, Maine DMR
Heather Glon, Lobster Research Scientist, Maine DMR
Kristyn Kleman, Lead of Commercial Sea Sampling and Ventless Trap Survey, Maine DMR
Nathan Willse, Tracker Research Lead, Maine DMR
Robyn Linner, Lead of Inshore Trawl Survey, Maine DMR
Sarah Leiter, Maine DMR
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Rockland Room)
Co-Developing Strategies for a Changing NGOM Scallop Fishery
Atlantic sea scallop habitat is changing as New England waters warm, freshen, acidify, and become lower in oxygen. The Gulf of Maine is already experiencing these changes. At the same time, the sea scallop fishery, including in the Gulf of Maine, has steadily increased in value over recent decades. The growing reliance on these fishery and geographical shifts in landings requires stakeholders and managers to work together to develop management strategies that address these regional changes. This seminar is one of a series of interactive workshops we are hosting in fishing communities from Maine to New Jersey. We present regional oceanographic information, including a regional projection of changes in sea scallop fishing zones alongside seasonal forecasts, incorporating variables based on fishermen’s recommendations. We also discuss current research on how scallops respond to these ocean changes. The objectives of this workshop are to discuss with Maine scallopers the changes they are observing in the fishery, to learn what they think would best improve the fishery’s resilience moving forward, and to co-develop strategies to adapt to potential future changes. Through scenario discussions, the roles of closures and management-area changes informed by projected and forecasted ocean conditions are explored in the context of past industry adaptation strategies. The results from this workshop will support the co-development of adaptive management recommendations and inform our ongoing research. These actions may increase flexibility in the management process, which is necessary for the fishery to build climate resilience.
Host: Togue Brawn
Moderator: Susan Inglis, Senior Research Associate, Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Panelists: Samantha Siedlecki, Associate Professor, University of Connecticut
Halle Berger, Ph.D. Student, University of Connecticut
Shannon Meseck, Chief of the Aquaculture Systems & Ecology Branch at Milford Lab, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Jim LaChance, Visiting Professor, University of Maryland
Robert Murphy, Social Scientist, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Golf Club)
Aquaculture CTE: Students meet the working Waterfront
Launching in the fall of 2025, an Aquaculture CTE program was launched at Waldo County Technical Center. Ms. Black, Mrs. Bradley, and their students are excited to share all of their success and learning opportunities thus far with the working waterfront community. Students will share about our kelp farm, our field trips, the skills we have, and the fun we have had together during our inaugural year!
Host: Sebastian Belle
Moderator: Genevieve Black, Aquaculture Instructor Waldo County Technical Center
Panelists: Jackson Horton, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
Ambrose Whitney, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
Jay Swimm, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
Luke Littlefield, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
Jaiden Schute, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
Adam Robson, Student, Waldo County Technical Center
2:45 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Rockport Room)
Open Forum with Federal Fisheries Leadership
Please join us for the opportunity to meet and converse with leadership of federal fisheries management.
Host: Suzannah Raber
Moderator: Maggie Raymond
Panelists: Eugenio Piñeiro Soler – NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator
Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
Jon Hare, Science and Research Director, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Cate O’Keefe, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council
Dan Salerno, Chairman, New England Fishery Management Council
2:45 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Rockland Room)
2026 Outlook for the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Fishery
The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) proposes a seminar to update stakeholders on key developments affecting the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop fishery, with a focus on Framework Adjustment 40, anticipated changes for fishing year 2026, and emerging Council priorities aimed at balancing opportunity and sustainability.
Framework 40 includes updated catch limits for the 2026 NGOM scallop fishing year, and default measures of 2027. These measures are designed to ensure the long-term conservation of the resource, given the recent growth of the NGOM fishery and resulting effort on Stellwagen Bank. The seminar will cover an overview of the 2025 NGOM season as well as the outlook for the NGOM scallop resource in federal waters in 2026 and the updated catch limits set under Framework 40.
A focus of the session will be the Council’s 2026 work priorities, which will consider subdividing the NGOM management area into sub-areas. This spatial refinement is intended to support management of the Stellwagen Bank scallop resource while expanding fishing opportunities throughout the rest of the NGOM. Staff from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement will be available to address questions regarding federal scallop regulations or enforcement issues.
The seminar aims to offer attendees an understanding of what to expect in 2026, how to engage with the NEFMC on upcoming management actions, and how to contribute to the long-term sustainability of the NGOM scallop fishery.
Host: Melissa Smith
Moderator: Melissa Smith, Resource Management Coordinator Maine DMR
Panelists: Connor Buckley, Scallop Plan Coordinator, New England Fishery Management Council
Chandler Nelson, Fishery Specialist, New England Fishery Management Council
Melanie Griffin, Scallop Committee Chair, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Emily Keiley, Fishery Policy Analyst, Sustainable Fisheries Division, NOAA Fisheries
Jason Berthiaume, Enforcement Officer, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Golf Club)
Roundtable for Maine Fishing Co-ops
The second annual Co-op Roundtable is an invitational meeting for all lobster co-op managers, bookkeepers, members and other interested representatives involved in the operations of Maine fishing co-ops. The goal of this session is to have an informal discussion about a variety of topics and to form a supportive network across the state to support continuous communication. Topics of discussion may include but are not limited to: labor, bait, pricing, regulations, and facilities maintenance. Leading up to the Fishermen’s Forum, invitations will be sent to each co-op with an opportunity to share topics they are interested in covering. This is an open meeting for co-op members, managers, bookkeepers and staff, and other interested members of the public.
Host: Michelle Brown, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Roxanne Tolman, Finance Manager Vinalhaven Fisherman’s Co-op
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Golf Club)
MLA Social Hour at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum
The MLA hosts its 2nd MLA Social Hour to focus on engaging members and colleagues in Maine’s fishing community to promote camaraderie and showcase MLA’s work in a relaxed atmosphere.
Host: Katie Werner, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Patrice McCarron, Executive Director Maine Lobstermen’s Association
Panelists: Patrice McCarron, Executive Director, Maine Lobstermen’s Association
Jaroy Bray, Board Chairman, Maine Lobstermen’s Association
Board and Staff, Maine Lobstermen’s Association
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SATURDAY SEMINARS DESCRIPTIONS
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Rockport Room)
Marketing Maine’s Seafood: Insights and Strategies
This session will share updates and next steps from year two of the Maine Seafood Promotional Council, along with a first look at the Council’s marketing strategy rooted in data and expert insight. Formed in 2024, the Maine Seafood Promotional Council is an industry-led initiative working to strengthen collaboration across Maine’s seafood sector and to collectively promote Maine seafood through coordinated messaging, branding, and outreach. Attendees will gain insight into how this shared strategy supports producers, harvesters, and processors by amplifying Maine seafood’s value and market presence.
The session will also feature an update from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association on their Sea to School efforts. This work focuses on strengthening and expanding markets for local seafood while helping K–12 schools’ access New England’s most abundant local protein. Presenters will discuss practical, scalable solutions that connect seafood producers with school nutrition professionals, educators, and students, supporting local supply chains and cultivating the next generation of seafood consumers.
Hosts: Togue Brawn
Moderator: Togue Brawn, Co-Chair Seafood Promotional Council
Panelists: Emily Lane, Seafood Promotional Council, Co-Chair
Tyler Niven, Seafood Promotional Council, Member
Chris Bonacci, Account Director and Vice President, Marketing, Ethos Marketing & Design
Sophie Scott, Sustainable Seafood Program Manager, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Susan Olcott, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Rockland Room)
Navigating Safety, Stress, and Strength at Sea
Commercial fishing is physically demanding, mentally taxing, and often isolating. Together, these pressures contribute to allostatic load – the buildup of stress that wears down the body and mind over time. This interactive session offers fishermen practical, hands-on strategies to reduce that load while improving day-to-day safety and long-term resilience.
Participants will rotate through three engaging stations, each led by safety, health, and well-being experts.
- Musculoskeletal Health & Recovery: Hands-on demonstrations of mobility and recovery exercises tailored to repetitive strain injuries common in fishing.
- Stress & Allostatic Load: Nutrition and coping strategies to sustain energy, stabilize mood, and counter fatigue at sea.
- Emergency Readiness: Survival & Endurance Challenge: A live demonstration of “tactical athleticism” in action. An FPSS instructor will wear a survival suit under normal conditions, then repeat the task after brief exertion to simulate fatigue. The team will engage participants in the readiness challenge and discuss how mobility, balance, and recovery can be the difference between life and death in an emergency.
By blending health, safety, and preparedness, this seminar gives fishermen actionable tools to build strength, manage stress, and improve readiness on and off the water.
Host: Jessica Joyce
Moderator: Mandy Roome, Research Investigator Northeast Center for Occupational Health & Safety
Panelists: John Roberts, Vice President, Safety Training, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Russell Kingman, Project Officer, Safety, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Shannon Eldredge, Safety Instructor/First Aid Program Coordinator, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Monique Coombs, Director of Community Programs, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
Toni Small, Yoga Instructor, Fish Ability
Michael Heinle, Research Assistant, Northeast Center for Occupational Health & Safety
Kim Gertz, Research Coordinator, Northeast Center for Occupational Health & Safety
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Camden Room)
Fishermen Informed Research
Hosted by the Lobster Institute, this panel brings fishermen and researchers together to co-present five collaborative projects addressing long-standing questions across the lobster industry. Presentations will include updates on hatchery and larval-seeding initiatives at Homarus Inc. in Shediac, New Brunswick; the expansion of deep-water settlement collectors to better understand shifts in where post larval lobsters settle; and ongoing seafloor monitoring through eMOLT (Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps), now growing in both geographic and ecological scope with the participation of dozens of fishermen. The panel will also highlight a tagging study aimed at understanding connectivity among lobster stocks, as well as research documenting how fishermen are adapting their strategies in response to ecological change in the Gulf of Maine. Designed as an interactive discussion, this session invites attendees to bring questions, insights, and ideas to the conversation.
Host:Gayle Zydlewski
Moderators: Chris Cash, Executive Director, Lobster Institute
Chris Brehme, Project Director, Lobster Institute
Panelists: Louis Ferguson, Assistant Director, Science and Resource Development, Homarus Inc.
Curt Brown, Captain, F/V Lil’ More Tail, President, Bold Coast Seafood and Andrew Goode, Post-Doc, UMaine
Joshua Miller, Captain, F/V Bella Elena and Erin Pelletier, Executive Director, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
Rob Martin, Captain, F/V Resolve and Everett Rzeszowski, Post-Doc, UMaine
Matt Gilley, Captain, F/V Catherine G
Joelle Kilchenmann, PhD Candidate & Research Assistant, UMaine
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Golf Club)
Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association
This seminar offers Maine’s elver harvesters and industry partners with key updates for the 2026 season. Attendees will receive an overview of anticipated regulatory changes and management considerations to support preparation and compliance. The session includes an update on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listing status for American eel, outlining recent discussions and potential implications for harvest and export activities. Presenters will also share findings from the latest eel life cycle study, offering insights into migration and population health. In addition, the seminar will highlight ongoing aquaculture developments in Maine that may complement or intersect with the elver industry.
Host: Alison Billings
Moderator:Tim LaRochelle, President MEFA Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association
Panelists:Megan Ware, Director of External Affairs, DMR
Jason Bartlett, Marine Resource Scientist, DMR
Mitchell Feigenbaum, META/NOVA eel
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Rockport Room)
Community Readiness to Save Lives
Join us for an essential educational session on enhancing safety and response in the commercial fishing industry. Did you know that commercial fishing is 40 times more fatal than the average U.S. profession? In the event of an incident or injury, the speed of response and survival aids are crucial. When the community hears of a potential incident, they are often the first to gather, eager to help, while authorities may be hours away. Through community planning, volunteers can quickly and safely support official response efforts, potentially saving lives.
This session will present insights from the “Community Orchestration Guide,” developed through extensive research and interviews with 16 organizations experienced in marine search, rescue, and recovery, including families who have faced losses. Attendees will hear precautionary options for fishermen and best practices to help every Maine harbor community create a tailored emergency response plan that complements protocols of the U.S. Coast Guard, Maine Marine Patrol, etc. We’ll also share exciting information about a Maine Sea Grant award to Green and White Hope Inc that will enable two Maine harbors to pilot the guide and to document their community readiness plans and process. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference in your community and get access to the digital toolkit!
Host: Sebastian Belle
Moderator: Ann Backus, Secretary, Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
Panelists: Liz Michaud, Founder/President, Green and White Hope Inc.
Annie Sokoloski, Policy Literacy & Working-Waterfront Advocate, Voices of the Fleet™
John Roberts, Vice President Safety Training, Fishing Partnership Support Services
Monique Coombs, Director of Community Programs, Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association
Amanda Smith, Coastal Opportunities Advisor, Sunrise County Economic Council
Kim Gertz, Research Coordinator, NEC
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Rockland Room)
From Idea to Market: Supporting Ireland’s Marine Enterprises
Fishermen and coastal communities face growing pressures from climate change, regulatory shifts, market volatility, and the challenge of succession planning. Many have strong business ideas but struggle to move from concept to reality. This session explores Ireland’s approach to supporting marine entrepreneurs through structured feasibility funding that helps assess and de-risk ideas before major investment.
Drawing on experience from Nua Mara and Údarás na Gaeltachta, we will share practical Irish case studies. These include the Connemara Shellfish Co-Operative, where 88 fishermen turned starfish predators into a valuable aquafeed product; innovations in seaweed-based bioplastics; and a marine testing facility that grew from one redundant worker to 191 employees, with a further 140 jobs planned.
The session introduces the “Triple Helix” collaboration model, showing how industry knowledge, research expertise, and development support can combine to deliver successful outcomes. Just as importantly, we will discuss failures—such as seaweed snack companies that collapsed following regulatory changes—highlighting that even robust planning cannot eliminate all risk.
This is a knowledge exchange, not a lecture. We are keen to learn from Maine’s own experience of supporting coastal and marine innovation and will leave plenty of time for questions and discussion with the audience. Attendees will gain insight into feasibility assessment frameworks, understand how collaboration can reduce risk, and build connections for ongoing cross-Atlantic learning.
Host: Hugh Cowperthwaite
Moderator: Hugh Cowperthwaite, Senior Program Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI)
Panelists: Máire Éinniú, Head of Nua Mara, Ireland’s Marine Innovation Centre
Dr. Colin Hannon, Principal Investigator, Atlantic Technological University
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Camden Room)
Swipe Right for Science: Finding Your Perfect Collaborative Lobster Research Match
Brought to you by Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative, this session wants to keep the collaborative lobster research conversation going.
Are you tired of looking for answers in all the wrong places? Are you excited about the possibilities after hearing about all of the industry science collaborations in the previous session?
Does it sometimes feel like the lobster industry, scientists, and managers are speaking different (love) languages? It’s time to stop swimming solo and start building the collaborative research relationships you deserve. Join us for this Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative (ALI) seminar designed to spark chemistry and discussion between lobstermen, researchers, extension professionals, and resource managers.
The next call for ALI proposals is expected later this Spring. Come discuss potential research priorities for this new funding opportunity, talk to fishermen and scientists who have successfully tied the knot on past projects, or talk through the technical aspects of putting together a collaborative research project proposal.
This is speed dating for lobster industry/science collaborative research—minus the awkward small talk and plus meaningful impact. We are clearing the floor to help you find “The One” (collaborative project team, that is).
Whether you are a fisherman with a hypothesis or a manager seeking common ground, this is your chance to break the ice. Let’s skip the ghosting and start building a future together.
Looking for a quick coffee date (a simple gear tweak or pilot study) or a serious long-term commitment (a multi-year survey)? Bring it to the table. No idea is too small to spark a connection.
Come ready to mingle, share ideas, and maybe—just maybe—fall in love with a new collaborative research project idea.
Host: Gayle Zydlewski
Moderator:Michelle Brown, Lobster Research and Extension Coordinator, Maine Sea Grant
Panelists: N/A
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Golf Club)
Alewife Harvesters of Maine Annual Meeting
The Alewife Harvesters of Maine annual meeting is an opportunity for collaboration and education in River Herring in Maine and other East Coast States. This meeting has been held successfully at the Forum for several years, providing a learning opportunity for Harvesters, Regulators, and the public.
It allows for the latest stock assessment data and restoration efforts for River herring to be presented and discussed in an open public forum. We believe this meeting is a valuable opportunity for learning about where harvests are taking place in Maine, and the economic benefits they provide. This balances well with discussions about conservation efforts and regulations from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and restoration of alewife habitat in various watersheds throughout Coastal Maine. This provides a great interactive space where audience members can ask questions to the various Speakers regarding Alewife.
Host: Jacob Bowie, Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Board of Directors
Moderator: Mike Thalhauser, Alewife Harvesters of Maine Board Member, Alewife Harvesters of Maine
Panelists: Mike Brown, Sea Run Fisheries Biologist, Maine Department of Marine Resources
Dwayne Shaw, Executive Director, Downeast Salmon Federation
Mike Thalhauser, Project Manager, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Bailey Bowden, Harvester, Board Member Alewife Harvesters of Maine
1:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Rockport/Rockland Rooms)
Gubernatorial Candidates’ Forum
This November, Maine will elect its 76th governor. There is a large field of qualified candidates interested in succeeding Governor Janet Mills, each offering a breadth of unique ideas on how to lead the state.
Our next governor, and their choice of commissioner to lead the Department of Marine Resources, will have a significant impact on fisheries policy at the local, state, interstate, and federal levels.
In preparation for the 2026 gubernatorial election, the Maine Fishermen’s Forum Board of Directors has invited a diverse group of contenders for the office to attend a candidates’ seminar. This seminar will provide the candidates with the opportunity to introduce themselves, discuss their visions and ideas for the future of Maine’s fishing and aquaculture industries, and share other relevant initiatives.
Hosts & Moderators: Jacob Bowie, Attorney/Shareholder, Perkins Thompson PA
Sebastian Belle, Executive Director, Maine Aquaculture Association
Panelists: Expected attending candidates include
Shenna Bellows (D)
Rick Bennett (I)
Jonathan Bush (R)
Edward Crockett (I)
Troy Jackson (D)
Angus King III (D)
James Libby (R)
Owen McCarthy (R)
Benjamin Midgley (R)
Hannah Pingree (D)
Nirav Shah (D)
Robert Wessels (R)
12:00 p.m. (Golf Club)
Maine Lobster Boat Racing Association Meeting
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Camden Room)
Maine Scallop Farming Roundtable
Maine’s scallop farming sector continues to grow, with strong links to research and regulatory issues, and new farming gear being used by growers and fishermen alike. This is a chance to hear from industry members directly: what the challenges are, what the opportunities are, where are the most pressing needs, etc. The session will be a program where all are encouraged to speak and listen; a conversation between producers and with important partners. Session facilitators will support the group to maintain focus, capture important elements of the discussion, and to home in on achievable and most needed actions items.
Host: Hugh Cowperthwaite
Moderator: Phoebe Jekielek, Post-doctoral researcher, University of Maine
Panelists: Marsden Brewer – Founder, Pen Bay Farmed Scallops
Struan Coleman – Partner, Vertical Bay
Emma Fernald – Owner, Bay Lady Scallops
Greg Foote – Owner, Dirigo Marine Services
Andrew Peters – Founder, Vertical Bay
Jon Steuber – Partner, SeaScale
Charlie Walsh – Partner, SeaScale
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. (Golf Club)
Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council quarterly meeting (public)
The Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council meets quarterly to discuss safety, regulatory issues and current research. The purpose of the CFSC is to advise the Commissioner of Marine Resources, provide education and outreach, and discuss emerging issues. This in-person meeting allows us to hear from and discuss issues with commercial fishermen and associated industry personnel. These discussions inform our future outreach and education as well as the recommendations we make to the Commissioner.
Host:Tom Duym
Moderator: Janine Drouin, CFSC Chairman Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
Panelists: Rob Odlin, Vice Chairman, Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
Ann Backus, Secretary, Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council
Sgt Mark Murry, Marine Patrol -DMR, and Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council, ex officio
Jeff Nichols, Communications Director, Maine Dept of Marine Resources, Commercial Fishing Safety Council, ex officio
2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Camden Room)
Fisherman collaboration in addressing gear disposal
This seminar highlights the field work of fishing industry members working with the New England GEAR Team to remove and dispose of “ghost gear” or ALDFG (Abandoned, Lost, or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear). Over the past several years fishermen, divers, town leaders and other members of the community have been working with the GEAR Team (Center for Coastal Studies, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, Rozalia Project, OceansWide, Blue Ocean Society and Net Your Problem) to locate and land lost traps and large balls of rope/nets for proper disposal and/or recycling, or have delivered retired traps, rope and net for processing. This session will feature the individuals who have worked directly on the project, showcase their generational knowledge of the issue, and provide examples of the methods they use to recover the gear. Join us for an open discussion on the issue of ghost gear and how we can continue industry collaboration within Gulf of Maine waters to streamline fishing gear disposal.
Host: Melissa Smith
Moderator: Laura Ludwig, Marine Debris & Plastics Program Director, Center for Coastal Studies
Presenters: Erin Pelletier, Executive Director, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
Emma Weed, Program Director, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
Fritz McGirr, MDPP Operations Manager, Center for Coastal Studies
Buzz Scott, Executive Director, OceansWide
Ashley Sullivan, Executive Director, Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean
Jen Kennedy, Executive Director, Blue Ocean Society
Caitlin Townsend, Net Your Problem
Dana Morse, University of Maine Sea Grant
2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Golf Club)
Paths Forward: SEA Maine’s Roadmap and Needs Assessment
SEA (Seafood Economic Accelerator) Maine is an industry-led effort, convened in 2019 to develop a strategic economic development Roadmap for Maine’s marine living resource economy. This presentation will focus on one of the projects that came out of that Roadmap: A Cooperative Seafood Logistics and Cold Storage Needs Assessment. The SEA Maine Roadmap identified cold storage and logistics issues as barriers to economic growth in Maine’s seafood industry. The Needs Assessment sought to identify and categorize specific weaknesses and then begin to develop ways in which these weaknesses could be overcome. Methodology included a literature review, an analysis of how similar obstacles were confronted in other parts of the world, and interviews with over 40 Maine stakeholders. In this presentation, John Rooks, lead investigator for the project, will present an overview of the project’s methodology, findings, and recommendations. After the presentation, Togue Brawn, SEA Maine Co-Chair, will lead a discussion of how insights from this project could be used to help grow Maine’s seafood economy.
Host: Togue Brawn
Moderator:Togue Brawn, Co-chair SEA Maine
Panelists: John Rooks, President, NORM: Culture & Communications
