Maine’s Congressional delegation announced Friday that two commercial fishing associations have been awarded a significant amount of federal grant funding to support youth “training and workforce development” efforts.
These grants were awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Young Fishermen’s Development Program.
Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) received just over $90,000 to establish an “online knowledge hub” targeted toward young fishermen that includes “educational training content” focused on career development and “caring for your physical and mental wellbeing” in the commercial fishing industry.
Eastern Maine Skippers Program was given $296,342 for the provision of “career development opportunities” to young fishermen. The program will be designed to serve eight coastal schools in rural Maine and help train eighty high school students and sixteen post-graduates each year via workshops, vessel-based activities, and mentorship.
“Maine is known around the world for our proud fishing heritage thanks to the generations of hardworking men and women who have sustained it,” said Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I), as well as Reps. Jared Golden (D) and Chellie Pingree (D).
“These investments in youth workforce development will help ensure that young Mainers entering the commercial fishing sector have the skills and support they need to succeed, preserving the strength of this vital industry now and into the future,” the delegation wrote.
“MCFA’s mission of advocating for sustainable fisheries and vibrant fishing communities is focused on doing this work with the goal of building a brighter future for the next generation of fishermen and fishing businesses in Maine,” said MCAF Executive Director Ben Martens.
“The Young Fishermen’s Development Act, which was identified as a priority by the Fishing Communities Coalition, provides much needed resources to invest in our next generation and we are pleased to be able to deploy funds to created educational tools to advance fishermen wellness,” Martens continued. “Thank you Senator Collins, Senator King, Representative Pingree, and Representative Golden who co-sponsored this important legislation and who have continued to lead in ensuring it is annually funded.”
“Thanks to YFDA support, [Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’] Eastern Maine Skippers Program will be able to continue to meet our next generation where they are, and provide them with very authentic maritime and marine science learning to support future maritime careers, including fishing and science – skills that directly translate into the workforce here in Maine, and elsewhere,” said Executive Director of Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries Alexa M. Dayton, PhD.
“The future of lobstering and maritime careers in Maine is bright, and this program is helping to keep kids in school to complete their education, and providing mentorship to help them put it all together for the long run,” Dayton said. “The great news is, we have demand for the program from teachers, students, families and that’s a signal that we’re still going strong with a vibrant fisheries economy in Maine.”
NOAA’s Young Fishermen’s Development program was established following the final passage of the Young Fishermen’s Development Act in 2020, legislation which received support from the entire Maine delegation.
Click Here to Read the Full Press Release
In 2023, members of Maine’s commercial fishing industry earned a combined $611,277,692 at the dock, representing a $25 million increase over 2022, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR).
A January 2023 report from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and the Maine Center for Business and Economic Research found that the state’s seafood sector contributed over $3.2 billion in total economic output to Maine’s economy in 2019. This sector was also responsible for over 33,000 jobs, nearly 24,000 of which were employed directly in sector industries.
Note: This article was updated on October 16, 2024 to reflect that MCFA received a grant worth just over $90,000 — as opposed to $1.7 million as originally reported — after MCFA Director of Development Kat Libby reached out to the Maine Wire explaining that an “unfortunate clerical error” had led to the incorrect figure being included in last week’s Congressional press release.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="31666 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=31666">1 Comment
Talk about a waste of money, the lobster industry is being regulated out of business, off shore wind will not be too f the industry any good either. How did we all get into the industry despite the government?