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Released May 28, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of projects involving fish and seafood production and processing are underway in the U.S., with even more set to kick off in the future. While most of the projects currently underway involve fish of some sort, at least one endeavor in Maine is geared toward oyster production.
The oyster-production project is taking place in Harpswell, Maine, where Merrymeeting Shellfish Company (Bath, Maine) is expanding production significantly using technology provided by the University of Maine, which has designed a six-foot hexagonal pod used for oysters that can be 3D printed in about two hours (versus months for a traditional unit). Merrymeeting will be able to transport the pods indoors in the winter, allowing the oyster seeds to grow despite the low outdoor temperatures. The site has slowly been increasing production from 60 million oyster seeds per year to a goal of about 400 million per year, which it hopes to achieve this summer upon completion of the project. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Food & Beverage Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
At least one project underway is being sponsored by a state government. In 2024, New Hampshire approved a $50.8 million contract to expand the state's fish hatchery system, which produces more than 1 million fish each year. Most of those funds will be used to build a new 9,600-square-foot hatchery building and 60,000-square-foot growout building in New Hampton that are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, when the facility will begin ramping up to full production of 150,000 pounds per year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While Indiana may not seem an ideal location to build a seafood-processing plant, leading U.S. frozen seafood provider Gorton's Incorporated (Gloucester, Massachusetts) would beg to differ. While Gorton's flagship facility in Gloucester will continue as the company's primary production hub, the new facility in Lebanon, Indiana, will allow the company to expand its production and storage, which has reached its limit in Massachusetts. In partnership with United States Cold Storage Incorporated (Camden, New Jersey), Gorton's is constructing a new facility to process, cook and package fresh and frozen seafood products. The facility is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
While the farming of eels doesn't seem to be very extensive in the U.S., the Passamaquoddy Tribe is helping change that. Last year, the tribe was awarded a $4.3 million grant from the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing grant program, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program, to construct an eel-growing facility in Princeton, Maine. The award was one of eight to come from the program and provides for an eel-growing farm and equipment to make value-added products such as filets and kabayaki, a Japanese delicacy. Eels often are shipped as babies from Maine to facilities in Asia where they are grown out, matured and processed for the food industry. This project is meant to provide an alternative to that system. The facility is expected to be completed this summer. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Another indigenous tribe based in Maine plans to go from regional fish distribution to national distribution with the expansion a fish hatchery in Caribou, Maine. Mi'kmaq Farms and Hatchery (Caribou) is underway with a $5.5 million project that will grow the Mi'kmaq Nation's existing hatchery from two 16,000-gallon tanks to four 18,000-gallon tanks to expand production of brook trout. The hatchery currently produces around 12,000 pounds of brook trout each year, enough for the tribe itself and some regional distribution, but the expanded hatchery could produce 35,000 to 40,000 pounds annually, enough to justify shipping nationally. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The oyster-production project is taking place in Harpswell, Maine, where Merrymeeting Shellfish Company (Bath, Maine) is expanding production significantly using technology provided by the University of Maine, which has designed a six-foot hexagonal pod used for oysters that can be 3D printed in about two hours (versus months for a traditional unit). Merrymeeting will be able to transport the pods indoors in the winter, allowing the oyster seeds to grow despite the low outdoor temperatures. The site has slowly been increasing production from 60 million oyster seeds per year to a goal of about 400 million per year, which it hopes to achieve this summer upon completion of the project. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Food & Beverage Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
At least one project underway is being sponsored by a state government. In 2024, New Hampshire approved a $50.8 million contract to expand the state's fish hatchery system, which produces more than 1 million fish each year. Most of those funds will be used to build a new 9,600-square-foot hatchery building and 60,000-square-foot growout building in New Hampton that are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, when the facility will begin ramping up to full production of 150,000 pounds per year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While Indiana may not seem an ideal location to build a seafood-processing plant, leading U.S. frozen seafood provider Gorton's Incorporated (Gloucester, Massachusetts) would beg to differ. While Gorton's flagship facility in Gloucester will continue as the company's primary production hub, the new facility in Lebanon, Indiana, will allow the company to expand its production and storage, which has reached its limit in Massachusetts. In partnership with United States Cold Storage Incorporated (Camden, New Jersey), Gorton's is constructing a new facility to process, cook and package fresh and frozen seafood products. The facility is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
While the farming of eels doesn't seem to be very extensive in the U.S., the Passamaquoddy Tribe is helping change that. Last year, the tribe was awarded a $4.3 million grant from the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing grant program, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program, to construct an eel-growing facility in Princeton, Maine. The award was one of eight to come from the program and provides for an eel-growing farm and equipment to make value-added products such as filets and kabayaki, a Japanese delicacy. Eels often are shipped as babies from Maine to facilities in Asia where they are grown out, matured and processed for the food industry. This project is meant to provide an alternative to that system. The facility is expected to be completed this summer. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Another indigenous tribe based in Maine plans to go from regional fish distribution to national distribution with the expansion a fish hatchery in Caribou, Maine. Mi'kmaq Farms and Hatchery (Caribou) is underway with a $5.5 million project that will grow the Mi'kmaq Nation's existing hatchery from two 16,000-gallon tanks to four 18,000-gallon tanks to expand production of brook trout. The hatchery currently produces around 12,000 pounds of brook trout each year, enough for the tribe itself and some regional distribution, but the expanded hatchery could produce 35,000 to 40,000 pounds annually, enough to justify shipping nationally. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
