SEA Maine has awarded $1 million to five projects to strengthen working waterfront infrastructure and support Maine’s commercial fishing and seafood industries.
The funding, awarded through the Seafood Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (SIAF), will support projects in Tremont, Rockland, Freeport, Swan’s Island, and Boothbay Harbor. Grants range from $126,693 to $300,000 and will pay for improvements including cold storage, docks and floats, ice-making equipment, energy upgrades, and waterfront planning.
“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,” said Togue Brawn, SEA Maine co-chair and owner of Downeast Dayboat.
The largest award, $300,000, will go to the City of Rockland for work at the Rockland Commercial Fish Pier, which serves approximately 100 commercial fishing and seafood operations. The two-phase project will first assess vulnerabilities at the pier, identify potential improvements, and develop engineering designs. A second phase will carry out priority improvements based on those findings.
Freeport will receive $218,400 to replace deteriorating docks and floats at Cove Road Wharf, the Commercial River Floats, and Freeport Town Dock along the Harraseeket River. The facilities support more than 60 municipal shellfish license holders, along with commercial fishermen, lobster and aquaculture gear storage, and temporary vessel berthing. The existing infrastructure has been affected by storm surge, sea level rise, age, and heavy commercial use.
In Boothbay Harbor, Harbor Bait will receive $193,406.80 to modernize bait-salting and ice-making equipment at the Boothbay Harbor Fish Pier. The project calls for an automated bait salter and a high-capacity flake ice machine intended to improve access to two basic supplies for commercial fishermen.
Tremont was awarded $161,500 to retrofit a 1,200-square-foot town-owned building that houses a local bait company and the harbormaster. Improvements will include insulation, weather-tight windows and doors, heat pumps, and electrical upgrades, increasing the building’s cold-storage capacity and year-round usability.
Swan’s Island will receive $126,693.20 to renovate vacant space near Burnt Coat Harbor for dedicated harbormaster and shellfish warden offices. The project also includes weatherization, heat pumps, and solar-powered cold storage that will be available to fishermen, clammers, and aquaculture operators.
“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,” said Brett Richardson, development director for the Town of Freeport.
The Seafood Infrastructure Adaptation Fund grew out of recommendations included in the 2024 SEA Maine Roadmap. Funding is supported by NOAA through the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant awarded to the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future in 2024.
The SIAF program allows funding to be used for planning, engineering, retrofits and design or construction projects associated with publicly accessible marine infrastructure. Grant recipients are required to contribute a 5 percent match toward the total project cost.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson said the investments show how supporting commercial fishing and aquaculture infrastructure at the local level can strengthen Maine’s coast.
“It is a great example of how investments supporting commercial fishing and aquaculture at the local level can help ensure resilience and drive innovation that will shape the future of Maine’s coast,” Wilson said.
