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Working the ground game: How Maine shellfish and seaweed farmers are building social license to operate

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Over the past decade, the aquaculture industry in Maine has experienced steady growth. With this growth, farmers are facing new challenges–one pernicious challenge being social acceptance. As a result, Maine farmers have become hypervigilant of their social license to operate and are actively working to gain their community’s trust using a wide range of practices. To date, most of the research investigating social license in aquaculture focuses on large-scale finfish farms, as they are often more environmentally and socially impactful and draw more public attention. Through in-depth interviews with 30 Maine shellfish and seaweed farmers, this study demonstrates that social license to operate is also relevant for small to medium scale, low-trophic farms. This study also shows how farmers are doing social license. From proactive, voluntary outreach, to responsible operating practices, to offering tangible community benefits, farmers in Maine are crafting businesses that align with local values in an attempt to build genuine community support. Social license practices are deeply integrated into their businesses and this benefits both the farm and the broader community.

Source: Aquaculture

DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741786

Authors: Emily Whitmore, Christopher Davis, Thomas Safford

Institution: University of New Hampshire

Language: English

Topic: Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Decent work and economic growth, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,000