It turns out shellfish are pretty interesting, or at least they are to the people who packed a room full at the Samoset Resort in Rockport last Wednesday. They came up for the first day of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, an annual event that takes place over three days each spring to provide an opportunity for people to learn about fisheries in Maine. That includes everything from lobster to alewives to scallops to ground fish, just to name a few. The event has grown over its 45-year history and now attracts thousands of people from throughout the state. The Fish Forum is its own independent non-profit organization that is run by members of the fishing industry as well as an army of volunteers that put on the event. They’re able to offer it for free for anyone to attend.

The Shellfish Focus Day started out as “Clam Day” and had a smaller focus. Now it is a full-day event that includes sessions on research, education and management. There’s also a poster and networking hour at the end of the day designed for sharing projects and for meeting others with common interests. Because shellfish are managed municipally, this is a valuable opportunity.

Shellfish Day took place in just one of the rooms at the Samoset among other presentations about wind energy in Maine and trainings opportunities for CPR and First Aid. Other elements of the event include an impressive trade show with vendors for fishing gear and an array of technology as well as a full line-up of children’s activities for those who bring their families for the weekend.

Amidst all of these other happenings, there was much to capture people’s attention in the shellfish room. One agenda item of particular interest for Brunswick was the announcement of grants awarded by the Broad Reach Fund. This foundation provides funding for a variety of projects focused on issues from social justice to environmental health among other interests.

Both Brunswick and Harpswell received funding to purchase quahog seed and grow it out to a size where it will have a decent change of surviving when planted in the mud. The hope is that this seed will grow to harvest size and augment the resource. Both towns will be collaborating with harvesters in these efforts. One of the research findings presented pointed to the need for reseeding due to declines in soft shell clam populations in recent years. This is thought to be the result of a combination of increasing water temperatures and predation. It has put the focus on quahog (hard-shell) clams as a result. These efforts are in response to this shift in what species are out there to be harvested.

Other presentations included those on outreach and education projects both in schools and in communities. This is another area of interest to Brunswick given the marine science program at Brunswick High School (BHS) that has included growing clams at the outdoor classroom at Wharton Point. Several students from BHS attended along with Rick Wilson, Community Outreach and Extended Learning Opportunity Coordinator to share their experiences during the poster session at the end of the day.

While the Fish Forum is a statewide event covering a broad array of topics and species, there are clear local connections that have direct impacts on the resources that we have in Brunswick. And because it’s free for anyone to attend, it is a rare opportunity to learn about Maine’s marine resources.

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