WRITTEN BY JOANNA O’LEARY
Confession: As a food critic, what I usually think about when I think about scallops is whether I will receive three or four in an entrée course and how they’ll be dressed. Lemon beurre blanc is a favorite.
Since relocating to Maine, however, my thoughts about scallops have focused more on production and sourcing. Our oceans are not a perennial all-you-can-eat buffet, and protecting this resource is increasingly important because of ecological threats, namely climate change.
Maine is one of a handful of states prioritizing sustainable aquaculture, loosely defined as the controlled farming of aquatic plants, fish, and shellfish in a way that maintains or increases production while minimizing harmful effects on the environment and maximizing species viability. Thus far, most sustainable aquaculture ventures have focused on mussels, clams, and oysters. Many commercial lobster fisheries have also “come on board” with integrating sustainable practices into their businesses.
The Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, or MAIC, is helping the sustainable aquaculture movement expand to include another mighty mollusk: the scallop. MAIC’s Sea Scallop Hatchery Development project specifically aims to expand hatchery-level knowledge through approaches such as public outreach, stakeholder engagement, and the establishment of industry best practices. Hatchery experimentation is also central to the project.
Because the larval phase of the Atlantic sea scallop is relatively long — about 45 days — and cultivation is sensitive to environmental fluctuations, results at these hatcheries have so far been modest. For example, Mook Sea Farm saw an 88% increase in scallop larval development over five years, along with a nine-day reduction in the time required for the larvae to set. Such findings indicate the potential for the long-term economic viability of hatcheries.
But significant regulatory, environmental, and social challenges to the long-term viability of such initiatives remain.
“Maine’s leasing and permitting pipeline is incredibly rigorous, involving multiple state and federal agencies,” said Anne Langston Noll, MAIC’s executive director since 2024. “Streamlining this process while maintaining public trust rights, strict biosecurity, and environmental safety is a delicate balance.
“Currently, it is taking more than two years for farmers to get through the lease process, and that is too long. We are working with our colleagues at the Department of Marine Resources to help navigate these challenges.”
In addition to being stymied by red tape from Uncle Sam, sustainable scallop farming and similar aquaculture projects face obstacles from Mother Nature. These include changes in Gulf of Maine ocean chemistry, warming waters, and volatile storms, all of which pose physical risks to both equipment and crop cycles.
Finally, there is the elusive but crucial matter of community support.
“We know from research and our work with communities that Maine people love working waterfronts and local seafood, and that public perception of aquaculture is greatest once people meet our aquaculture farmers,” Noll said. “But despite that, navigating ‘social license,’ coupled with very active anti-aquaculture activists, remains a primary hurdle.”
Noll remains hopeful, and for good reason. Institutions such as MAIC and other organizations are making significant advances in bringing sustainable aquaculture ventures into the mainstream and, perhaps even more importantly, getting Mainers excited about their products.