After a two-year hiatus, the Maine Fishermen’s Forum will return to the Samoset Resort in Rockport this year. The three-day event will take place from March 2 – 4. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association will hold its annual meeting on March 3 at 9 a.m.
Face-to-face once again. MFF photo.
The Forum will open on March 2 with Shellfish Day, with seminars held throughout the day on the Maine shellfish industry. In addition, there also will be a seminar on the expanding New England offshore wind industry and activities taking place in Maine.
Presentations held on Friday will include the MLA Annual meeting, recent federal management actions affecting gillnet fisheries, Gulf of Maine federal scallop fishery updates, the Maine Lobster Marking Collaborative annual report, and the annual Open Forum with NOAA leadership. Seminars will be held on training the next generation of fishermen and on innovation and resilience in Maine’s seafood community, among other topics.
Saturday’s seminars will cover working with fishermen on abandoned fishing gear, Maine scallop industries, economics of the lobster fleet, the annual Department of Marine Resources summary of lobster science results, perspectives on commercial fishing and aquaculture leasing, alternatives to plastic aquaculture gear, lessons from 2022 New England cooperative research summits, new tech meets old challenges in the lobster supply chain and, as ever, a fun seafood cooking demonstration.
The Maine Lobster Boat Races Association will have its pre-season meeting and the Maine Alewife Association and the Elver Association will also meet. The Fishermen’s Forum Trade Show is reported to be nearly full and will feature many new vendors in 2023.
Once again, there will be something for everyone! Looking for more information? Visit the forum website at www.mainefishermensforum.org.
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