CALAIS — Washington County Community College (WCCC) will offer three free aquaculture courses this spring, as it seeks approval for an Associate of Science degree program and an aquaculture technology certificate program.
“The collective expertise of this group of collaborators strengthens the curricula and student learning outcomes and experiences to ensure a highly trained and qualified workforce to fill the current and future workforce needs that exists within this in-demand, high-wage industry,” WCCC President Susan Mingo said in a Jan. 9 press release.
Both land-based and penned aquaculture operations have steadily increased along coastal waters in Maine over the past two decades, as has out-of-state and foreign interest in opening large, land-based salmon farms. These include Whole Oceans, a subsidiary of Indiana-based Emergent Holdings, approved for the former Verso paper mill site in Bucksport, and Norwegian company Nordic Aquafarms, also approved, in Belfast. But neither has moved forward in constructing the sites, although Whole Oceans started preliminary site work in 2022.
With large-scale aquaculture operations comes the need for skilled workers, and the WCCC program would help train them. WCCC is partnering with both aquaculture experts and workforce development agencies “to develop aquaculture-specific programming within our region,” Mingo said.
Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan and the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce are funding the three courses. Funding to develop the degree and certificate programs came from a USDA Agricultural Food & Research grant in partnership with the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center.
One of the key industry partners in this program is Kingfish Maine, a land-based yellowtail farm in Jonesport, which received all state, local and federal permits by the end of 2022, but still has to construct its facility and is leasing space at the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center in Franklin.
“Aquaculture projects statewide have tremendous potential to expand career opportunities for Maine residents,” Operations Manager Megan Sorby said. “With our collaborative partners at WCCC and the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, we will provide students with an up-close look at aquaculture technology and an opportunity to learn marketable skills for the many job opportunities developing in our state.”
Three courses will be offered this spring: Intro to Aquaculture, Intro to Water Quality and Chemistry in Aquaculture and Exploring Aquaculture Careers.
But not everyone is on board with these proposed large aquaculture operations.
Local citizen groups in Belfast and Jonesport raised opposition, but they had little effect on the local, state and federal permitting processes.
Another large-scale salmon farm, which proposes growing salmon in pens in Frenchman Bay, has encountered strong local resistance. Its first application was rejected by the DMR.
