Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X I I J U N E 1 , 2 0 2 6 16 A G R I C U LT U R E / A Q UA C U LT U R E W orking in an uninsulated, unheated, unelectrified barn, Charlie Walsh and Jon Steuber are building what look like lobster traps but are actually a new type of shellfish farming grow cage called the Maine Scallop Pot. eir omaston startup, Seascale, last year swept all three categories and $25,000 in prizes at a pitch competition held by Dirigo Labs in Waterville. "We built the Maine Scallop Pot to make aquaculture a real, viable option for working fishermen, not just in Maine, but anywhere traditional fisher- ies are facing pressure," says Steuber. Seascale is one of a number of intriguing aquaculture startups cropping up in recent years. Others are eyeing cultivation technology, biomedical products and land-based fish farms. Aquaculture was identified by Maine's Blue Economy Task Force as an industry with growth potential, says Beth Orcutt, vice president for research at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. e task force, part of the Department of Economic and Community Development, supports Maine's emer- gence in blue economy innovation and opportunity. "Blue economy" means business sectors that rely on the sus- tainable use of ocean resources. New ideas Maine leads the nation in seaweed farming, but there's plenty of oppor- tunity to develop innovative methods and technologies in the aquaculture industry overall, says Orcutt. "We're really in the early stage — seeing what's working, what regula- tory changes and incentives we need to help the industry grow," she says. "Our sector is really based on inno- vation, even going back to the early days," says Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association. A number of innovations devel- oped in Maine have percolated into other parts of the world — in particular, guiding principles for best management practices which, in turn, have carried into seafood certification programs, says Belle. Maine's aquaculture industry "is by far one of the most innovative sectors in the marine space, no holds barred," he says. In part, that's because the industry is young and entrepreneurs are learning while doing. F O C U S Farming the sea Aquaculture startups are creating new products, methods and technologies B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r P H O T O / DAV I D C L O U G H Jon Steuber, left, and Charlie Walsh started Seascale to build a new type of shellfish farming grow cage. Two years ago, it was a doodle on a yellow legal pad. — Charlie Walsh Seascale

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