Rising grocery and fuel costs have battered Maine’s groundfishing sector, but a pandemic-born program is offering both relief to fishermen and free, locally caught seafood to communities. Fishermen Feeding Mainers, launched in late 2020, buys local catches when market prices fall, has the fish processed into fillets, and donates the frozen portions to schools, food banks and other institutions across the state.
Since its start, the program — run by the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association in partnership with the Portland Fish Exchange — has spent more than $4 million to purchase and process about 1.3 million pounds of locally caught fish. Overall the association says it has donated over 1.8 million meals since October 2020, including more than 200,000 meals last year alone.
The program was conceived after the market for local fish collapsed early in the COVID-19 pandemic when restaurants were closed and demand evaporated. That slump pushed prices to “scary-low” levels for fishermen such as Boothbay boatman Devyn Campbell. By stepping in to buy fish when auction prices dip below a set threshold, Fishermen Feeding Mainers gives crews a predictable outlet and brings needed revenue into a fragile supply chain.
An initial anonymous foundation gift of about $374,000 launched the effort; since then the organization has sustained it with private donations, grants and state and federal funding. At Portland Fish Exchange auctions, program staff monitor prices and make purchases before values fall further. The fish are filleted, frozen and made available for pickup in Portland — a trip some districts near the state’s northern tip make repeatedly, driving more than 10 hours round trip to collect the free product.
For food banks and school meal programs facing the squeeze of inflation, the donations are a major boon. Retail seafood prices increased at the end of 2025, adding pressure on institutions that must stretch food budgets. By supplying frozen fillets, the program lets nutrition staff focus on recipes and feeding students rather than sourcing and affording seafood.
At Westbrook High School, for example, a recent lunch featured locally caught haddock made into fish tacos with cabbage, pineapple salsa and a yogurt sauce, served alongside cilantro lime rice and lentils. Mary Emerson, the district’s nutrition director, says the program has allowed the cafeteria to serve fish more often; she has even driven as much as 200 pounds home in a Toyota Prius to get product for the menu. Students have responded well — many choose the fish options — and the school is now exploring buying local fish directly from distributors.
A key part of expanding seafood in schools has been supporting kitchen staff. Some food service teams were unfamiliar with handling raw fish, so organizations such as the Gulf of Maine Research Institute step in with training, tastings and classroom curricula. The institute helps staff test simple recipes and runs student tastings so districts can refine menus. Its work also includes educational materials that introduce students to the species they’re eating and recipes from diverse cuisines to broaden appeal.
Program leaders say the benefits ripple through the local industry: boats get a market for responsibly caught groundfish, onshore processors receive work, and families facing food insecurity gain access to a healthy protein.
Groundfishing has long roots in New England, but the sector has contracted sharply over recent decades. Overfishing and other pressures led to collapses of several groundfish populations in the 1990s, and stocks in the Gulf of Maine are still recovering amid warming waters. Meanwhile, operating costs — fuel, ice, crew, lease and quota expenses — have climbed, federal catch limits restrict landings, and imports from countries like Iceland and Norway can undercut local prices. Mary Hudson, director of fisheries programs at the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, notes that the number of boats landing in Portland has fallen from more than 300 in the 1990s to roughly 20 today, creating a volatile market where making a profit is difficult.
Fishermen Feeding Mainers doesn’t eliminate those structural challenges, but it has provided a meaningful safety net. Fishermen report steadier returns on trips that otherwise might have yielded little or no pay when auction prices crashed. The association also is developing ready-to-serve items made from local fish — such as fish cakes and a sweet potato pollock soup — which schools can buy at discounts through state reimbursement programs that support local food purchases.
Hudson says the program also builds future demand: children exposed to local seafood in school are likely to become consumers later, creating longer-term market opportunities for Maine fishermen. And while adults — parents, teachers and nutrition directors — were initially cautious about putting fish on menus, many have been won over by student acceptance and practical training for staff.
In short, Fishermen Feeding Mainers is a pragmatic response to multiple problems: it keeps money flowing to local boats and processors when market prices tank, supplies nutritious seafood to food-insecure families and schoolchildren, and introduces young diners to locally caught fish. As fuel and other costs continue to rise, program leaders say that kind of targeted buying and distribution can be a lifeline for a sector still struggling to rebuild in a changing ocean and a tight market.