The Maine Aquaculture Association released the state’s first set of best management practices (BMPs) in the fall of 2025, along with updated versions of the nation’s first occupational standards. Both sets of documents are in the rollout process, with their adoption being encouraged across the entire sector. Throughout the creation and rollout for both of these projects, which included meeting with 40+ farmers, one message came through loud and clear: farmers state that on-farm safety must be improved.
One part of this presentation will focus on the BMPs and the occupational standards, including how (a) their adoption across the Maine oyster sector will be encouraged and (b) how they can be adopted in and adapted for other states. The second part of this presentation will discuss safety concerns, steps taken to address them, and solutions from a special session at the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition in January 2026.
**As a note, I could not find a workforce development session, into which this would likely be a good fit.**