Island Institute's Fishing Plus Accelerator Program Opens for Lobstering Families

By Jeff Frank, Senior Community Development Officer, Island Institute

Most readers don’t need reminding—lobstering is a living built on skill, grit, and the ability to adapt when the bottom changes. The past few years have brought more than the usual share of change: warmer water, shifting stocks, volatile prices, tighter rules, and storms that keep the repair crews busy all winter. Those challenges aren’t going away, and for many, it’s worth looking at ways to steady the household income without leaving the waterfront behind.

That’s where the Island Institute’s Fishing Plus Accelerator comes in – and it’s free!

Photo by J. MacDonald.

The aim of the program is straightforward: give fishing families opportunities to make more money, whether that is by making lobstering more profitable, starting side businesses, or building new skills and job options.

Beyond the day’s catch

Fishing Plus grew directly out of what we’ve heard from fishermen and the advisors who work alongside them. Over the past year, the Island Institute’s Future of Fishing program has been on the wharves, in co-op offices, and at kitchen tables, asking what’s missing and what would make a real difference in lobster-dependent towns. The answers were consistent: access to practical business training that respects fishing schedules, better paths to financing, and real examples of how to diversify without giving up the core fishing business.

Since launching in 2024, we’ve put that feedback to work—offering small business resilience grants, financial planning workshops, and one-on-one advising for owner-operator lobstering businesses. Working with partner organizations inside and outside in the industry, we’ve brought training, access to capital, and business support.

Those first-year efforts proved what most already knew — there’s no shortage of ideas among fishing families. The challenge is turning those ideas into something that fits the haul-out schedule, works out financially, and adds to the community’s strength. Fishing Plus was built to meet that need, with a structure and programming shaped by the people who will use it.

Built for the coast

We’re running the Fishing Plus Accelerator with the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE), the folks behind Top Gun and other successful startup business programs. They’ve helped hundreds of Maine businesses grow and attract capital. Together, we’ve tailored the Accelerator program to fit the realities of fishing-dependent communities.

Over eight sessions this fall, participants will move from concept to ready-to-launch business.

Topics include:

Business Readiness – Lining up personal and business finances, setting clear goals, and mapping the business model.

Financial Skills – Budgeting, cash-flow management, break-even analysis, and selecting accounting tools.

Operations – Choosing the right business structure, navigating permits, and streamlining day-to-day work.

Market Fit – Finding your customers, refining your value proposition, and researching the competition.

Marketing & Sales – Building a brand, getting online, and keeping customers.

Capital Access – Understanding financing options and how to make a solid pitch.

Diversification Pathways – Hearing from other fishing families who’ve built successful side or second businesses.

Final Pitch – Presenting to a panel of lenders, investors, and community leaders.

Sessions mix in-person workshops, online learning, and one-on-one mentoring. By the conclusion, participants have a workable plan, practical tools, and a network of support.

Who should apply

This free program is open to current or former fishermen, crew, and family members in fishing communities. It doesn’t matter if your idea is tied to the water, the waterfront, or entirely onshore — what matters is that you’re ready to get your idea off the ground. During our 40+ years working in coastal communities, Island Institute has seen fishermen start a wide array of supplemental businesses. Maybe it’s time to make a prototype for that piece of gear you think other fishermen would buy, or you want to start a contracting business to put your skills to work. With the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs experience and mentors, almost any idea, big or small, can become a viable business.

Part of a bigger picture

Fishing Plus is not a call to get out of the fishery. It’s about making sure fishing families have options—options on the way to make a living, options on how to shape the future for fishermen and their families. For some it may be expanding off-season work they’re already doing, others may have a new idea they want to develop over time. The Future of Fishing program is here for that entire range—from spark of an idea to an operating business.

Fishing Plus is part of Island Institute’s Future of Fishing initiative, funded in part through a Congressional Direct Spending award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, secured with the support of Senators Susan Collins and Angus King. Applications for the Fishing Plus Accelerator are open now and will close on September 13. Follow the QR code in the ad on page 17 or go to https://www.mced.biz/events/fishing-plus-2025 to learn more and apply now.