Our vision is that the Gulf of Maine will be a place where we can sustain fishing, forever.
Mission
Secure a sustainable future for fisheries and fishing communities in Eastern Maine and beyond.
MCCF makes community resilience possible by bringing together fishermen and harvesters, scientists, policy makers, business and community leaders, and citizens to create and implement sustainable solutions for communities that depend on wild fisheries, aquaculture and the seafood economy. For fishing communities to prosper, they must be able to respond to, withstand, and recover from adversity including changes in ecosystems, fluctuations in markets, local demographic shifts and regulatory mandates.
Guiding Principles
We believe that the success of fishing communities depends on healthy interconnected marine and river ecosystems, access to a diversity of opportunities and markets, and stewardship by the resource users.
We believe that small-scale fishing, aquaculture and seafood business can provide more opportunity for coastal communities in eastern Maine and will help maintain the culture and maritime heritage.
We believe that engagement, listening, and discussion are essential to the formulation of collaborative solutions that build on previous experience while being open to innovation.
We believe that education at all ages leads to an informed public and fishing community better prepared to take responsibility for the stewardship of their resources.
We believe in sharing with, and learning from, organizations and individuals from other parts of Maine, the U.S. and the world.
The Opportunity
MCCF develops and applies collaborative principles to managing and curating networks of scientists, fishermen and others to increase the credibility, relevance, and impact of research results.
MCCF leads the development of selected research projects where fishing industry input and local knowledge are critical in providing novel information identifying research gaps that inform resource management and where the research questions are driven by, and responsive to, the needs of the fishing industry and coastal communities.
MCCF proactively communicates collaborative research results to a broad set of audiences so that the findings are applied to resource management policy and practices while informing the design of future research projects.
Our Aim & Approach
MCCF promotes application of collaborative fisheries management practices that are nimble and responsive to climate and demographic changes, and address local needs and opportunities, while maximizing sustainability, prosperity, and stewardship.
Develop, test, and refine ways to engage fishermen, community leaders, and state and federal policy makers, providing information on current practices while exploring alternative management strategies and improving local capacity for collaboration.
MCCF improves engagement of the next generation and students to build local capacity for stewardship and continued participation in commercial fisheries in Eastern Maine’s coastal communities.
MCCF engages the public through experiential, applied learning and lifelong informal education activities to promote better understanding of, support for, and stewardship of Maine’s coastal and nature-based economy.
MCCF contributes to the publication and scholarly library to capture lessons learned and contribute to the larger conversations and understandings.