Last week, NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office announced federal funding aimed at securing the future of the fishing industry, and Maine’s fishermen are set to benefit. As part of the FY2024 Young Fishermen’s Career Development Projects competition, $987,361 in federal funding was awarded across four initiatives in Maine, California, and Washington, with each project providing a 25% non-federal match. These efforts are focused on enhancing education, training, workshops, and technical support to strengthen the next generation of fishers.

The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) received $91,000 to create video-based learning modules to help the next generation of fishermen build successful fishing businesses, cultivate their own physical and mental resilience, and become leaders in their communities. The modules will focus on three areas:

• Physical health: Fishermen are described as “tactical athletes” who need strength, flexibility, sleep, and good nutrition to meet the demands of their work safely.
• Mental health: With long periods away from home, shifting regulations, market uncertainty, and threats from climate change and gentrification, fishermen face high levels of stress. MCFA partners with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, ManTherapy, and the Northeast Center for Occupational Health & Safety to offer accessible mental health resources.
• Career resilience: The modules will cover business and financial management while highlighting transferable skills like welding, engine repair, and carpentry to help fishermen prepare for other opportunities when needed.

MCFA aims to develop the videos into a “living resource” with ongoing contributions from organizations and fishermen across the U.S. “This searchable online knowledge hub would be useful for young fishermen across the country, helping solve the challenges of providing services along a lengthy coastline,” MCFA stated.

This funding builds on the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, passed by Congress in 2020 with support from Maine’s full delegation, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden. MCFA, a member of the Fishing Communities Coalition, helped draft and advocate for the legislation, which directs federal investments toward the future of the U.S. fishing industry.

Maine, home to one of the largest populations of young fishermen, credits its success to the state’s lobster apprenticeship model. However, MCFA emphasizes that young fishers need proper skills and support to stay “healthy, resilient, and profitable” in such a high-risk industry.

The association also congratulated the other three grant recipients this year: the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, the Washington Sea Grant, and the California Sea Grant.

Visit MCFA’s website or sign up for their newsletter to stay current with its initiatives, including its ongoing fishermen's wellness program.