A delegation of eight professionals from Maine will visit Aomori and Hokkaido, Japan to study the Japanese farm-raised sea scallop industry. From October 13 through 17, 2025 the group will visit the northern prefectures of Aomori and Hokkaido, both of which have a climate and seasonality like Maine and are rooted in natural resource-based economies.

The trip was co-organized by Hugh Cowperthwaite, senior program director of fisheries and aquaculture for Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI); Keiichiro Hamano, CEO of Japan Fishing Machine, LLC; and Dr. Yoshinobu Kosaka, an expert on the physiology, ecology, and aquaculture of scallops. Dana Morse, Senior Extension Program Manager for Maine Sea Grant and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, provided additional support, drawing on his instrumental role in previous exchanges, which began with his 1999 visit to Aomori to study the scallop industry. Cowperthwaite and Morse have been working on collaborative research and technology transfer initiatives together since 2002. Their work began initially with sea scallop spat collection, but their work has expanded to include farmed scallops, kelp and most recently, the two are collaborating on efforts to promote the growth of farmed green sea urchins in Maine.

“Technology transfer is one of the fastest ways to build, support and ramp up an industry," said Cowperthwaite. "By spending time in Japan, our hope is to gain first-hand experience meeting growers, harvesters, processors, retailers, restaurateurs, and scientists to learn how sea scallops are grown, harvested, processed, marketed and made into various products to continue our work in Maine diversifying Maine’s coastal economy.” 

“We have learned so much over the years about scallop farming from our Japanese colleagues, so much that we now have a farmed industry in Maine and are seeing very promising results,” said Morse.

The Japanese have been sustainably growing and harvesting scallops for decades and have nearly perfected their grow out techniques over the past 100 years, according to Cowperthwaite. Hamano-san and Kosaka-san have helped the group establish connections in Japan and are uniquely positioned and qualified to serve as the group's knowledgeable hosts and guides.

“We are excited to share our industry with Maine and it goes both ways," said Hamano-san. "Japan’s industry will benefit from meeting with the aquaculture industry from another part of the world.” 

Cowperthwaite and Morse have hosted Hamano-san and Kosaka-san in Maine to learn about our farmed and wild fisheries including lobster, sea urchins, scallops, oysters, kelp and helped make connections with squid fisheries in Rhode Island and farmed scallops in Atlantic Canada.

The upcoming delegation will feature a group of aspiring scallop growers who are ready for exposure to seeing Japan’s industry and what could be possible for Maine. The exchange is made possible by a grant from The Builders Initiative to CEI. Along with Cowperthwaite and Morse, other participants of the tour will include:

• Emma Fernald, commercial lobster fisherman and owner of Bay Lady Scallops
• Phoebe Jekielek, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Maine and Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership.
• Connor O’Neil and Hannah Twombly, a husband-and-wife team located on the island of North Haven, Penobscot Bay, Maine who own and operate Island Grown Scallops.
• Kirk Rouge, Owner, KR Construction who is researching methods to support the developing aquaculture industry using his tugboat and barge as a platform.
• Michael Scannell, Owner of Saco Bay Sea Farms LLC in Casco Bay, Maine, and manager of Madeleine Point Oyster Farms in Yarmouth, Maine.

Maine has been exchanging information and sharing insights into fisheries, energy practices, art, culture and education with its “sister state” of Aomori Prefecture since 1994, although the origin of the relationship traces back to 1889. That year the 1,500-ton, 19th century American Merchant ship Cheseborough (built in Bath, Maine) wrecked in a typhoon off the coast of Aomori. Local citizens from the village of Shariki rescued four survivors and buried those who died, including Peter Erickson, the captain.

Prior to the delegation’s weeklong focus on scallops, a different 12-member delegation from Maine (which will include Cowperthwaite and Morse) will be visiting Aomori, October 9-11, to recognize and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Maine/Aomori relationship.

“The unfortunate and tragic event of the wreck of the Cheseborough is the reason we have strong connections with Aomori. Many good things have come from this ongoing relationship,” said Cowperthwaite.

Since 1994 Maine has been nurturing and stewarding the Maine/Aomori relationship via two entities in Maine. The Friends of Aomori (FOA) a nonprofit organization consisting of dedicated members striving to improve the relationship between the State of Maine and Aomori Prefecture and the Maine Aomori Sister State Advisory Committee (MASSAC) an appointed council by executive order of the State of Maine’s Governor’s Office since 2003.