Program aims to combat labor shortage in Maine

A labor-force development program is underway in Maine to help combat aquaculture labor shortage.

A $500,000 grant from the USDA will fund the program, which will be jointly implemented by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and the Washington County Community in Calais.

The goal is to come up with a curriculum that will result to a new generation of world-class, data- and tech-savvy aquaculturists in four key aquaculture sub-sectors: land-based recirculating aquaculture; marine fin-fish aquaculture; cold-water coastal shellfish aquaculture; and marine macroalgae aquaculture.