Our coastal future is in the balance.

COURTESY OF MAINE AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION

Maine stands at a crossroads, and the decisions we make today will determine what our coastal communities look like for the next generations. Working waterfronts have always been the iconic center of these communities. A changing ocean environment and dramatic demographic shifts are challenging those communities’ ability to maintain their maritime heritage. Coastal real estate prices lower than the states to our south and the ability to work remotely have dramatically accelerated the rate and depth of gentrification in these communities. Working waterfront families and property owners are being forced to make hard choices and are worried about their future. Municipalities are being caught in the middle of a clash of values between those that go down to the sea to make a living and those that want to view a pristine ocean with little human activity.

That tension is not new to Maine, but it has begun to be a profit center for several professional “campaigners” seeking to decrease waterfront access, disappear marine industries from their clients’ viewsheds and turn Maine’s coast into a series of exclusive gated communities where only wealthy folks can afford to live. These groups are not just funded by local wealthy landowners but are attracting significant funding from out of state (and in two cases out of country) activist groups. Opposing working waterfronts—especially aquaculture—is becoming ‘big business’.

Maine has had a long tradition of coexistence between wealthy summer residents and local working waterfront families. Part of the reason summer folks and tourists come to Maine is our iconic working waterfronts. That tradition is under threat by a few vocal well-funded hired opponents. The impact of these professional campaigners will be much broader than aquaculture and threatens the viability of Maine’s working waterfront traditions.

Maine’s coastal communities and their working waterfront families have always found a way to adapt to change. Aquaculture is not a ‘silver bullet’ and will not replace existing working waterfront activities; it is just another way to make a living on the water. Fishermen on our coast are recognizing aquaculture as a tool for income diversification and a hedge against environmental change and regulatory uncertainty. Almost 200 commercial fishing license holders also hold aquaculture leases or licenses. 

Maine also has strict laws that protect the public trust and the environment. These laws give municipal residents an elevated voice in the review process which is complicated, thorough, and lengthy. Applicants often must wait two or three years before they know if they will get permission to start their farm. 

If Maine’s coastal communities aren’t going to turn into gated communities for the wealthy, the young people in those communities must find a way to make a year-round living. Maine aquaculture provides good jobs while growing healthy local food sustainably. Intentionally misleading local officials and using scare tactics to pit one working waterfront group against another is disingenuous and not helping Maine coastal communities find the solutions they need to face a rapidly changing world.