Congress Approves $7 Million for UMaine Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center Secured by Senator Collins
The funding now heads to the President to be signed into law
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $7 million in Congressionally Directed Spendingto establish an Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center at the University of Maine (UMaine) in the Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill. The bill, which was included in legislation that passed the Senate today, now heads to the President to be signed into law.
“Maine’s aquaculture industry has seen significant growth over recent years, but more needs to be done to support its expansion and economic opportunity in our State,” said Senator Collins. “As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this funding, which will help strengthen UMaine's position as one of the nation’s premier research and training resource for the aquaculture industry.”
“Our state is recognized nationally as a leader in cold-water aquaculture in great part due to UMaine’s expertise in aquatic animal health and fish nutrition research,” said University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute Director Deborah Bouchard. “This federal funding will allow us to construct a state-of-the-art workforce training and testing center where UMaine faculty and student researchers, as well as land-based aquaculture businesses, can work together to develop the talent and innovation this growing industry needs to realize its full potential as an economic engine for Maine and a source of safe, sustainable protein for the world.”
Funding for this project will support the construction of the Aquaculture Workforce and Innovation Center, a 15,000 square foot, functional state-of-the-art cold-water demonstration, training, and research facility located on UMaine’s Orono campus.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $500 million for hundreds of Maine projects for FY2022 and FY2023. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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